Bury the Past
by Nature9000
Summary: Ten years after leaving her life behind, Trina has assumed a life with a husband and a new career. A grisly crime forces a buried past into light and she finds herself working alongside her estranged father to solve a horrendous murder. To solve the murder and save her marriage, she must learn to accept the past, lest it destroys the new life she worked so hard to create.
1. Crumbling Worlds

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: At the root of this story is a murder mystery. A murder for the reader to try and solve alongside our protagonist. This _is_ an actor-connect, however you do not need to know much about Daniella Monet's "When Duty Calls" film to understand this. Everything you need to understand this story will be explained in the chapters. Trina is a cop, or more accurately a detective working as a go-between for the department and the sheriff support team for a retirement community.

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Chapter 1 (Crumbling Worlds)

Trina walked through her living room, donning the brown sheriff's uniform and badge. Her hair was pulled into a bun, her shoulders were tense and firm, and she wore exhaustion as a mask. In the living room was a man with a brown goatee and eyes that seemed to be much older than he was. "When are you going to tell him?" The man asked calmly. "Martin. Haven't you gotten tired of being called 'Ellie' yet?"

"No." Ellie was her middle name. Sure, it was odd for someone changing their name to use their middle rather than an entirely new one, but she'd grown accustomed to it. "That life's done, Dad."

"I'm not your dad, you know." The man huffed and opened up his newspaper. "Really." He was her godfather. Gary, and his wife, Carol. They watched her grow from childhood, and helped her in many ways. Including playing her parents when Martin began asking questions about his fiancé's past. "You never know what might come out of the woodwork, Trina."

"I've moved on from that life. I'm done. With all of them." She started unbuttoning her uniform, frowning as she peered down the brown shirt and brown slacks. "I'm no longer Trina Vega. I'm now Mrs. Ellie Skopic, and we're a long way from Los Angeles."

"Yeah." Gary chuckled softly and shook his head. "Where I was a detective for twenty-five years." The man folded his paper and leaned back in the chair. "You know he asks about you from time to time. Your dad. Wondering where you are, or if you're okay." Gary leaned forward, pushing his hands over his knees. "I never know what to tell him."

Her heart sank for a brief moment, and a flutter of sorrow struck her heart. As she recalled David's usual harsh words to her, she tensed back up and straightened her posture. "He never wanted me around. He should be happy."

"Come on. Underneath it all, he's still your father, and he needs his daughter."

She didn't want to say she didn't care, but she did. She was estranged from her family and had a completely new life where she was finally happy. "There's no joy in the past." She didn't on changing her name, or even having Gary and Carol pretend to be her real parents, but that was the way things played out.

After she cut ties with her family, Tori would stalk her. Her little sister would accuse her of turning her back on family, calling her all sorts of names and harassing her by telling her everything that she and her friends talked about her were true. It got to the point Trina had to almost entirely change her identity so Tori wouldn't find her.

Then when she started dating Martin, he was gung ho about discovering everything there was about her. He would ask all sorts of questions she never wanted to answer, and so, she found it far simpler to just say Gary and Carol were her parents and leave it at that.

"I never intended for a lie to get out of hand, or for them to get big. I just figured I'd leave the past where it deserves to be, dead and buried."

"You should know it can catch up to you pretty quickly if you're not careful."

She let out a small breath of air and started making her way to her bedroom. She was far too exhausted to think or discuss the matter and didn't care to try. As far as anyone was concerned, her old life was done and her new life was well on its way to starting.

Throwing her uniform on the bed, Trina started to adjust her bra and looked at the mirror, frowning at the person looking back at her. Long brown hair had pulled away from her bun and was falling alongside her cheek, covering a part of her left eye.

She lowered her arms, letting her heart beat faster as the memory of her final day in LA played in her head. There was nothing special about the day Trina decided to leave. Tori and her friends were over as they always were, playing poker. David was in his study and Holly was busy baking a cake for Tori's graduation party.

 _"Where do you think you're going?"_ _Tori asked as Trina walked to the front door, her suitcases in hand. She had two large rolling luggage carts and two large duffel bags attached to them. Inside were clothes, makeup, and a few other essential items. She knew she didn't need much, and had sold a lot of what she wasn't going to need._

 _"You care?" Trina pulled her hair back with a scoff and tilted her head. She was in a long red and black patterned dress. "I told you already, I'm leaving." Tori folded her cards and laughed._

 _"Really? You were serious about that? I thought you were just being a drama queen again, looking for attention." Hurt by the words, Trina tensed her muscles and squeezed the handles of her luggage tight. "Okay. You'll be back anyway, right? I mean, this is just for attention, isn't it?" Tori seemed genuinely worried, but at the same time, had a mocking tone._

 _"No Tori. I'm gone this time." No one in her family believed her. "All the 'jokes' from Dad about how I should leave far away, all the ignorance from mom, and the bullying from you and your family…I can't do it anymore. I'm done. I'm gone. You should be happy, if nothing else."_

 _Sure, Tori would be the star child she always was, but more so. "What do you hope to get from this?" Jade asked while twisting around in her chair and hanging her arm over the top. A smug smirk stretched across the girl's face and her eyes started to narrow. "You want your daddy to beg you to stay? Maybe your mommy can call you later and tell you how much she misses you."_

 _"No. t Trina rolled her eyes and turned away, not caring for more abuse from them. The plans were already made. Gary and his wife were moving back to a small town in northern California, and Trina was to leave with them. David didn't know, nor did anybody else, and she preferred to keep it that way. "I wouldn't come back if they tried to talk me out of it, anyway. You've all pushed me away, so I'm cutting you off."_

 _Tori frowned in an instant and rose up from the table, but before she could speak, Trina was out the door. It didn't take long for the girl to hunt her down on social media and begin to accuse her of betraying her family or being a drama queen._

It wasn't long after changing her name and entering the police academy she met Martin Skopic, a history teacher with a master's degree. They had a whirlwind romance for almost a year before deciding it was time to marry.

She chose not to tell him about the family she had cut off, opting to keep them a distant memory and to shut out years of pain and the hurt they had caused her. Even now, as she tried to find something positive about that life, she could think of very little.

In the reflection on the mirror, the bedroom door slid open and a thin framed man with short brown hair parted on the side stepped in. He had a friendly and caring expression and eyes that travelled immediately to her. "Ellie, I didn't know your dad was visiting."

"He wanted to see our new apartment." She turned around and smiled tenderly as her husband approached her. Trina threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips gently. "How was your first day working as a sub, Martin?" Martin grinned back and raised his eyebrows.

"Relieving, actually, to get back into teaching." She was proud of him, thrilled that he was able to get back into the career he adored. Martin kissed her once more and hugged her waist. "So we've both gotten back where we should be. Sky's the limit?"

Her hands lowered into his and she swayed her arms, gazing into his eyes with a serene glow. "Yeah. For better and for worse." They'd gotten through the worse already, as they'd joke, dealing with both their careers falling through the cracks. It was a long time coming, but volunteering for the Sheriff Support Team finally led to her getting put on as a Deputy.

Martin wound up having to get a job as an auto mechanic for a bit until he got a call from a principal to be a substitute teacher. Hearing the principal's name at first felt like an omen to her _'Principal Beck'_. She actually had gone to the school just to see the principal herself, but he was a middle aged bald man in a suit. Simply a coincidence.

Trina walked Martin towards their new queen sized bed, grinning from ear to ear. "Remember what I said about adding a new addition to the family?" His eyebrows lifted once more as she pushed her hand up along his arm.

She leaned her back onto the bed and Martin fell alongside her. His hand caressed her and he looked down her body as though examining it. "I love you, Ellie."

"I love you." She closed her eyes and rolled her head back, breathing in deep. "No matter what Martin, I love you." She hummed as he began to kiss her shoulders and neck.

This was the man she couldn't live without, the man she needed in her life. A sweet, kind and caring person who could treat her with love and respect. She knew Gary was right, that she should be honest about her past, but the person she had been was damaged. Too damaged for someone like this to love and appreciate.

It wasn't so much a new identity she strove for as it was a new life, and here she could make that life without anyone or anything holding her back. She had the support of Gary, Carol, her husband, and the people at the police department. No more did she have anyone taunting her, sassing her, tearing her apart and discouraging her over everything she did and said. The bullies in her world now were the criminals she hunted down, not her own family or friends of the family.

The lines were no longer blurred, and as the song goes, the rain was gone and she saw clearly now. Absolutely nothing could get in her way; and with her loving husband, she felt they could make it through any obstacle.

Miles away in Los Angeles, twenty-eight year old Tori Vega sat in her old family home with Jade West and Andre Harris. She was visiting their mom and the two asked to join her. Her parents divorced shortly after Trina left, which angered her to the point she ended up stalking her sister, blaming her for everything.

She knew it was wrong to do so, and all these years later, regretted it. "Where do you think she is now, anyway?" Jade picked up a cup from the coffee table and raised it to her lips.

They'd been talking about Trina for a while now, since it was the anniversary of the day she took off ten years ago. She felt like shit and needed her friends there. Of course, Robbie and Cat weren't around anymore. They married and took off after finishing college several years ago. She invited Beck over, but Jade said the man had a headache and was nursing it at his place.

"I don't know if I care to know anymore." Tori shook her head somberly and closed her eyes. Her heart was breaking the more she thought about Trina, so much that she couldn't let go of it.

Jade reached for her, placing a tender hand over hers. "I know it hurts you Tori, but you have to find a way to move on. Find a way to live."

"I can't." Her guilt was like a bull that she couldn't grasp and beat, and it had been eating away at her for what felt like an eternity. "I blame myself Jade. I mean, if I hadn't pushed her away…if I didn't attack her after she left, maybe she would have come back."

"Can't focus on what-ifs," Andre replied, "The more you focus on what you can't change, the more you can't move forward into the future."

"I could have stopped her. I could have said something." She buried her face into her hands and moaned while sliding her fingers down her face. "Then Dad left. I was just angry. I felt like it was all Trina's fault he took off." She knew it wasn't though, there was no love she could see left between Holly and David. He kept to himself, she did her own thing, and the two daughters grew up neglected and left alone by both parents. "I mean couldn't she see the whole world was crumbling?"

"I think it already crumbled for her." Andre crossed his arms as the girls looked up at her. "Think about it. All her life she'd been victimized by someone. Whether it was us bullying her, her father neglecting her or-" He stopped, squinting his eyes and shaking his head. "That girl desperately needed what you had. I see that now, all these years later. She needed friends and a family to support her, but she didn't have that. There was so much negativity that she left you guys behind."

Tori breathed in deep and felt her tears running down her face. "I hope she's found some stability now. Wherever she's at." They all had their demons and share of troubles, and they each had their own secrets.

Secrets that, if ever got out, could cause a good deal of chaos in Tori's mind.

"There was something Trina had gone through when she was a kid, something terrible that should never have happened…" Tori raised her head and let her shoulders fall. Jade and Andre furrowed their brows. "Dad couldn't stop it. He was powerless to, and I think maybe a lot of his negligence was guilt. I don't know. She never had friends to help her through anything, never had support from family, and I think I just made things worse when she was a teenager."

"What happened to her?"

"Her life was full of tragedies and trauma." Tori rolled her head to the side, craning her neck. She ran her hand along the bend of her neck and she let out a long sigh. "You remember our dad's old friend, Gary Lawton?"

Andre nodded, asking if he was having an affair with Holly like they all thought. Tori shook her head. It was a lie she planted just to make a good story they could talk about, and she regretted it when Trina found out what she was saying. Trina shouted at her for making up such a thing, saying it was a ploy for attention and unfair to Gary.

"Gary and his wife, Carol, were our godparents. You know, the people Dad said wanted raising us if something ever happened to him and to mom." Jade and Andre nodded and Tori reached for her cup on the coffee table. "Well he pretty much raised Trina, which made Dad a bit jealous. Whatever Trina went through, he was the one there to try and help her."

"Well that's good."

"Yeah…I thought about maybe Trina left with him and his wife when they moved, but I never could confirm that." Regardless, they hadn't heard from Gary and Carol in the ten years that passed either.

Trina had a rough childhood, surviving falls and accidents. Most of which she'd gotten herself into with her love of exploration, but each incident she either had to pick herself up or go to Gary and Carol for emotional support.

She was often laughed at and given labels such as 'accident prone'. Trina managed to get better at avoiding these tough scrapes as she got older, because she got tougher and delved into things like martial arts.

There was an incident that occurred when Trina was twelve, when visiting her grandparents with her father. What happened would turn the world upside down for her, for David, and for the entire family. Leading to the perhaps inevitable divorce later on, or even Trina's leaving.

"I should have been more supportive," Tori explained. She took a drink and exhaled. "I…When I was ten, something happened that I didn't understand. Something changed. In Dad, in Trina, and I couldn't figure out what." She set her cup back down and tensed her brow. "I acted out, trying to get their attention. I felt like Dad didn't love us anymore-he couldn't even look at Trina, who was once his favorite."

"So you set off to make him proud of you or something?"

"Yeah. All through Hollywood Arts, everything I did was to get my parents to accept me." She leaned to the side, sweeping her hair from her eyes. "Of course I made friends." Andre and Jade smiled. "Friends I wanted the approval of no matter what. You guys didn't like Trina because she acted weird, so you picked on her. I let it happen, even sometimes leading the bullying just so I could have something to connect to you guys." Their frowns vanished and they glanced to the ground.

"You should never have had to feel that way," Andre remarked, "Ever."

"Yet I did."

Just then a noise from outside distracted them; it sounded like someone tapping on glass. "You guys hear that?" Jade rose from her chair and looked to the door. The sound was brief and faint, so Tori didn't think much of it.

"Probably just the tree hitting our window. It does that from time to time."

The tapping came again, louder and faster. "There it is again." Jade squinted and started to approach the window. Tori fell silent, exchanging a curious look with Andre as the tapping filled the air.

It was beginning to sound more like a lure than anything else, causing a nervous swelling in Tori's gut. She turned her head just as Jade started to place her hand onto the window. "Jade, get back from there."

In a matter of seconds, it was over. The window shattered with such force, splintering and cutting into Jade's hand, her head and face. Tori's eyes widened and Andre sprang from his chair.

Jade screamed in anguish, turning to run just as a shot rang out. The girl's body flinched and collapsed to the ground, her head striking the force like a basketball being dribbled.

A black gloved hand gripped the windowsill, and a man in a dark jumpsuit and ski mask flung himself into the room. Both his hands had brass knuckle bulges underneath the gloves.

Tori had little time to react in her horror, and started to run for Jade, praying the girl was okay. Andre ran for the man, ready to take a defensive swing. The man aimed his gun carefully and fired a single shot into Andre's forehead.

Seeing her friend hit the ground, Tori started to scream. Her screaming turned to wailing when she noticed the fresh blood pumping from Andre's forehead. "Andre! No!" She tried to grab for him, to shake him as if he was only asleep, but was quickly scooped up by the invader.

He said very little, and try as she might to find any recognizable features, Tori found nothing.

Her body hit the floor like a sack of flour and the man leapt on top of her, straddling her waist with his knees. His gun dropped to the side and he raised his right fist. Tori put her arms up defensively, pleading with him not to hurt her, but her please fell onto deaf ears as he swung his fist down upon her.

Each swing he made was like a brick, pummeling her and tearing apart her insides. For a moment she thought her head was swelling. Blood was pouring from all ends of her throbbing face, and her tears seemed to have evaporated.

"Please stop," she begged through sobs. "Oh god please."

The man raised another fist, but from what little Tori could see with her blurred and blood-filled vision, he twisted away and was looking at something in the room.

"Leave my daughter alone," Holly screamed. Half-conscious, Tori tried to scream for her mother to run. Her throat was too sore and her voice was gone. All she could do was move her eyes.

When he got off her, she could feel relief at the weight leaving her. "M-Mom," she said with a cracked and raspy voice.

"I've called the police," Holly said. Just then three shots rang out, each shot was like a jolt to her heart. When she turned her eyes, she saw Holly standing in place with a look of terror and shock painted on her face.

She had her hands in front of her waist and was slowly turning her head down. Blood was slowly spreading over the woman's patterned shirt and her jeans. Tori could only watch helplessly as her mother collapsed to the floor, crumpling like wadded paper.

The man turned his gun onto Tori, growling as his thumb pulled back on the hammer.

Sirens rang off in the distance and the man through his head up, grunting in annoyance. Seeming not to care about her any longer, he took off through the back door and climbed over the fence.

Tori groaned softly, listening to the incoherent mumbling of Jade nearby, and feeling blood pooling all around her. Feeling too much pain, she let her mind drift to more pleasant memories.

As her sister appeared in her thoughts, she soon began to see herself on a playground with the girl, swinging across the monkey bars. "Come on Tori, you can do it," Trina said from the other side. The six-year old girl was hanging from the bars with her legs bent over them, and reaching her hand outwards to the four year old. "Come on!"

Tori whimpered as she peered across the seemingly mile-wide gap between them. There was nothing but darkness below, and redness in the sky above them. The monkey bars looked to be spaced several feet apart.

"Come on," the older sister said with a laugh, "I'm waiting. Come on. You can do this. I'm here. Just reach out to me." Tori blinked several times, watching as her older sister flickered and faded.

Anything they could do could be done together, but Trina wasn't there. Not anymore. Now only air remained where she was, with a disembodied childish laughter. The vision had grown twisted, with the abyss below and the swelling of the crimson sky. The metal bars were rusted and greyed, and now Tori was alone on a platform which hovered miles into the air, connected to another platform only by broken monkey bars.

"H-Help," cried the young child. Her plea echoed into the sky, falling into the abyss. "I'm alone up here." She curled herself into a ball, trembling as the platform she was on slowly rusted and crumpled. "Help me."

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So at the end there I think it should be mentioned if it's not obvious, the memory there is Tori slipping into a comatose state. As said this event triggers Trina going back to LA, which opens up a huge past that will certainly cause some trouble between her and Martin. This is to be interactive as well, so I'll ask if you've spotted any clues or have any thoughts. Right now, seeing the scene of the crime I'll ask, who do you think the key target is? Were they all targeted, or was it just one person? I hope you'll enjoy this as it goes on and follow it, as well as try and solve it. Enjoy this story!


	2. Home Invaders

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: I love all the speculation so far, some of you have good insight and quick eyes. Keep it up. I will say the list of suspects someone mentioned, while truly intriguing, some of those listed such as Gary or Martin are unlikely. You have to remember they are a few hours away from LA. Gary's not as strong as he once was, and Martin has a pretty solid alibi: having sex with his wife the night of the murder. Great suggestions though, they're out-of-the-box, and I like it.

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Chapter 2 (Home Invaders)

Trina's forehead wrinkled and strained as her eyebrows came together and her body began to shake in the bed. Beside her, her husband lay on his side, peering down at her with great concern.

She felt his hand on hers, and her eyes shot open as an abrupt gasp escaped her lips. Her body jumped and she only relaxed when she saw Martin. "You okay?" He asked. His hand rose towards her forehead and slid carefully through her bangs. "Bad dream?" Trina exhaled and moved her head against his chest.

"Yeah."

"I'm here. If you want to talk about it."

She smiled and closed her eyes, all that mattered was his presence. That he should be there made her feel safe. "It's not something I'm ready to talk about." This was the truth. "Those two thieves we stopped. That night brought something back, something I'm not ready to discuss."

"I understand. I'm here for you either way."

"Thanks." She curled up against his warm body and hummed softly. "I love you…"

 _It was the night she was going to prove to the SST and the Sheriff's department that her instincts about a string of robberies were being performed by two workers of an air conditioning company. Commander Chapman didn't want to listen to her due to whatever personal feelings the woman had about her, and she didn't want to go over the woman's head by going straight to Deputy Chief Perez._

 _Martin found some proof that the workers she'd been staking out were prior felons with a hefty record, so tonight the couple had followed them out to a home. Their van was hidden in a dark and wooded area, so the couple pulled up behind them._

 _"Get a picture of the plate," Trina said while pointing to the van. "They have to be in the neighborhood somewhere, hitting some house." Looking around, she spotted a gated fence atop a hill, and a home with large windows. In the windows was the light of a flashlight moving about._

 _It was the home invaders._

 _She caught her breath and nudged Martin. "Over there." She began moving, ignoring Martin calling after her. They crouched to get a better look. "I'm calling it in, you start filming."_

 _He nodded and raised his camera phone a bit, frowning as the light stopped moving and turned off. "Where'd they go?" She didn't hear him and was too busy informing the police about a burglary in progress._

 _"Hang up the phone!" Someone shouted. Trina's eyes widened and she twisted around, startled to see the two robbers surrounding them, one holding a gun towards her. She rose slowly, tensing as she knew she had no protection on her or any means of defense._

 _"I'd do what the man says," the other thief said. His words sent a shockwave into her, sending her mind reeling with flashbacks. Frozen in place, she started shaking her head and wishing she had a gun. The man grabbed her phone out of her hand and threw it to the ground, then followed up with Martin's._

 _"How 'bout we take a walk." The main robber had a moustache and chin beard, and short combed hair. His partner had a buzz cut and was more muscular. They walked them to the car, and the man holding the gun started to chuckle. "I remember you. You think you're a slick little volunteer, don't you?"_

 _"You're not going to get away with this," Trina replied with a shaky voice._

 _"You just let us worry about that."_

 _Her arms were folded over her waist and her eyes were rolling skyward as she fought a terrible memory from her head. "You really think it's wise to turn a simple property crime into a full on kidnapping?"_

 _"Well you kind of forced our hand now didn't you." The man pushed the gun against her back and she flinched, groaning softly. Her eyes looked around, picking up the environment that she was in so she could mentally stay on top of the situation._

 _"How long have you been preying on these poor people?" She hissed, thinking about the vulnerable elderly living among the community._

 _They motioned to the car, telling them to get in. Martin stopped and turned towards them, clearly picking now of all times to get tough and protective. "We're not doing that." Trina's eyes widened and she immediately grabbed the arm of the second robber, pushing him down._

 _Just then Martin crumbled to the ground, having been punched in the stomach by the armed man. "Martin!" She gasped and threw her hands over her mouth as the man pointed the gun at her._

 _"Get in the car!"_

 _To her surprise, she heard Gary call out. He struck the bigger guy with a large branch, knocking him to the ground. Tears welled up in Trina's eyes as she watched him aim his own gun at the armed robber. "Drop the gun!"_

 _The robber lowered his arm and turned, surprised and confused. With that, Trina spun and raised her leg, performing a sweeping kick against the man's armed hand. She then dropped her heel and punched into his abdomen, causing him to double over. When he was down and unarmed, she picked up his gun and backed up towards her godfather, aiming at him._

 _"Stay on the ground," She ordered. She breathed heavily, watching as the robber put his hand up and nodded. Martin stood up, groaning softly. She looked at Gary, asking how he knew to show up. He grunted and moved to scan the perimeter._

 _"Just because I'm grouchy doesn't mean I don't think your instincts are right."_

After that night, Commander Chapman off the SST suspended her, but the next day Deputy Chief Perez was impressed enough that he created a position in mind for her as a deputy liaison between the sheriff department and the SST.

Trina made her way to visit Gary and Carol and waved when she entered the home. Gary was in the living room, resting with his back reclined and feet propped on the coffee table. "How's Carol?" She asked, referring to the heart attack the woman suffered a while back.

"She's fine now. Recovered. I think she's too used to having people do things for her now…" Trina sat on the end of the couch closest to Gary, laughing at the thought of Carol sitting around while Gary grabbed everything for her. Used to be, the woman would try and do everything-whether it was getting a glass of milk or cleaning the house.

"Well, you should have seen it coming when you started babying her after her heart attack, but I'm glad she's doing better."

"Yeah." He picked up a bottle of beer from the end table next to him and raised it to his lips, sighing as his eyes studied it. "How about you? How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"No." He turned his eyes sideways and she leaned back. "You're not. Martin called while you were on the way over, he said you were having another nightmare. That's been happening ever since you got those two robbers." She rolled her eyes and leaned forward, groaning.

"Home invasions. God." She didn't want to be babied, not like her godmother. "You know, you'd think they wouldn't bother me."

"Yeah." Gary took a sip of the beer and closed his eyes. "Maybe it's the elderly community suffering from home invasions that triggered it, combined to what happened to you and Martin."

She pulled her hair back and slumped in the chair, hanging her arm over the leather armrest while looking out the window to the right. "Maybe. I just hate being vulnerable." She was just glad the robbers didn't hurt anyone during the process of their robberies. "God knows the citizens in this community were luckier than my grandparents were…"

"Because they had you looking out for them." Gary pat her shoulder and smiled with pride. "You know as well as anyone, there's a good chance it could have elevated in their crime. Those two had prior assaults on their records."

"It needs to be said. I wasn't afraid of them." She crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "I was afraid of something else."

"I know sweetheart." Once Gary showed up, once he was able to protect and do something, she felt safe and strong again. "You're much stronger and braver than you realize, more so than when you were a little girl. Back then, you know your father…" Trina dropped her gaze and Gary grumbled a couple times.

"He hasn't talked to me in a very long time, but he'd get mad at me over these last few years. He wanted to know where his daughter was and was so sure you would have told me, but because you asked me to, I never told him you were with me." Gary rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow. "He'd move heaven and hell to protect you, you know he would. It kills him to not be able to do so. That night…at your grandparents…I don't know, maybe that's something the two of you should have dealt with together."

"He couldn't even look at me after that night."

"Ever think maybe it was because he felt the same as you? Powerless? Guilty? He wasn't able to protect you or his parents, and that had to hang over his head for a long time."

"Then he should have talked to me. He shouldn't have just cast me aside like some ugly trash and treat me like a secondhand person."

"Ever think he didn't know how to approach you?"

"It would have been nicer if my entire family didn't avoid me because they didn't know what to say."

Gary chuckled softly and took another long swig of his beer. "They avoided the elephant in the room by ignoring it, you ran away from it. Neither way is a good way to deal with the problems and struggles you face in life. Eventually it'll all come back to you, and you may not like how it happens."

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

There was a long pause where Gary looked as though he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to approach. Occasionally he'd look at her, mutter and look back. Eventually she'd had enough and motioned for him. "You have something on your mind?"

"I do. Deputy Chief Perez has something he wants to talk to us about, and he knows I'm not your actual father." Trina raised her eyebrows and started to question, but thought better of it. It wouldn't be hard for a man in Perez's situation to figure that out, all he needed was a background check and a comprehensive look at Gary would have led him to know Gary never had a true father. Instead, he would have appeared on documentations as being a godfather to the daughters of David Vega. "He asked about you, said I should probably be there too…"

"Do you know what he wants to talk about?"

Gary dropped his shoulder and exhaled. There was a note of pain and distress in his breath, but Trina didn't ask, figuring he'd tell her soon enough if need be. "I'm afraid so. You should hear it from me, but I need him there too."

"Why? Is it bad?"

"Worse. There's no easy way to say it."

"So why can't you tell me right now?"

"I haven't had to do something like this in so long I don't even remember how. It's too hard on me." He was serious, and that scared her. She knew if he couldn't wrap something around his mind enough to end up needing someone else's help that it was bad.

She had no choice but to wait until the next day, but that waiting period didn't ease her mind any. Martin was subbing at the school, so it was just her and Gary. They met up with Chief Perez who flashed a smile for a moment when he saw her.

"So it seems there is more to you than meets the eye," Perez said, "What should we call you here at the office?"

"Ellie's still my name. It's my middle name. If you want to refer to me as Trina, you can." She sat across from him at the desk and looked up as Gary took a seat beside her. "He said you had something you wanted to tell us?"

"Yes, but I think Gary would prefer to tell you himself…I'm here for support." She furrowed her brow and felt her heartbeat pause. Turning to Gary, the man's sad old eyes drifted into hers. He took her hand in his, then folded his other hand over hers.

"Something's happened, Trina. Something in LA. To your family…" Her heart sank into her stomach and a bout of nausea started to swirl in her gut. "Tori had two of her friends over, visiting Holly…"

"And Dad?"

"David and Holly divorced." Her eyes widened and Gary took a deep breath. "Not long after you left, actually. He was working another homicide at the time." She held her breath, terrified and unsure of what was coming next. "Somebody broke into the house, Trina."

"No," she whispered.

"They weren't caught."

"No. I don't want to hear this."

Her voice started to rise and panic gripped fast her heart. Gary closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. "Your mother. She's gone." Her hand trembled before her mouth and tears welled up in her eyes. "Tori isn't faring much better. She's alive but comatose."

"No." She couldn't believe what she was hearing, nor did she want to hear it. Something like this shouldn't happen. "No, no, that can't be-"

"I'm sorry." She pulled away, sinking back in her chair. The shock was still settling in, leaving her unsure how to react. They were still a part of her whether she was estranged or not. She never wanted anything bad to happen to them.

"What about Tori's friends?" She sat upright. "Who was there? Are they okay?"

"Jade West is in critical condition, but Andre Harris was dead on scene. Your mother was pronounced dead at the hospital."

Her tears ran silently down her cheeks and her heart seemed to have stopped beating. Whatever caused this to happen, whoever was responsible, she wanted to know. Even still, there was much too much to process.

Perez stood and she looked up to the man. "If you would like, I can grant you some time off to see your family."

"I…" She looked down, her eyes flitting back and forth. "I don't even know if they'd want me around right now." All that was left was her dad, if what she heard was accurate. "My father and I are estranged, Deputy Perez. We haven't spoken to each other in ten years…Not even my husband knows about the man-or about my mom and sister, to be honest."

She wanted to tell Martin all about them, and had been hoping for a chance to let him know everything. Now was a hell of a time for such a talk, and she couldn't gauge his response.

To think, her worst nightmare happened, but not to her. This time it was her own family, her mother and her sister. Perhaps it was more than that, but one thing she was certain of, it was hell; and she had no idea what to do.

* * *

So what are your thoughts here, what observatoins have you? We have a little potential insight onto Trina's past. Also the scene you're shown in this chapter, the memory, is what occurred in "When Duty Calls". While a fantastic triumph for her, that moment clearly stirs up and triggered something long past-probably the event Tori spoke of and what Gary was talking about here.


	3. Estrangement

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 3 (Estrangement)

It is often said of murder victims, _they never had an enemy in their life_ , and families would speak of how good of a person that was. The cold hard truth spoken by many veteran homicide detectives: If they did not have an enemy, they would still be alive, because somebody didn't like them; and somebody got to them.

This thought wracked Trina's brain as she lay in her bed and stared endlessly at the ceiling fan above her. She hadn't told Martin yet because she was still recovering from the shock of what happened. "Maybe mom was the target," she whispered to herself. Tears ran down the sides of her face and she shook her head. "Maybe Jade. Jade probably has a lot of enemies. Maybe she was the target, and my mom and sister were caught up in it."

She felt a splash of anger, even though she thought the initial anger had already passed. She tried to deny it, but she saw the news report.

It was also often said of victims of crime, that many would find themselves caught up in a lifestyle that leads them to a point in their life where something bad is going to happen. Whether it's gambling, drugs, sex or something else. Lifestyle choices often play a role in homicide.

She wasn't a homicide detective, but all her life she wanted to be. It was the one thing she hounded her father about growing up, always asking him to let her help out at the office when she was old enough, but he never did. Not after the night they lost her grandparents. Everything changed then.

With a soft groan, Trina pulled her forearms over her eyes, trembling as the distant memory returned to her mind.

 _"Oh sweetheart," chimed an older lady, "Let grandma get a good look at you." The grey haired woman lifted the twelve year old girl up, to the child's surprise and joy, and spun her around. An older man, bent forward and walking with a cane, made his way over. He had a bald head and a wrinkled face. His lips were spread into a widening grin._

 _"My god it feels like it's been forever," he said. David walked past his parents, chuckling softly._

 _"We were just here last month, Dad." He tossed his overcoat onto the couch nearby and tugged at his shirt collar. "I thought we'd stop in while Holly's picking Tori up from dance recital." Trina's grandfather swept his arm through the air, motioning at Trina._

 _"I thought we were missing one granddaughter." Trina laughed jovially as her grandfather made his approach. "Come now Rosalie, I want to say hello to my granddaughter." Rosalie set Trina down, shaking her head._

 _"Oh alright, I suppose I have to share."_

 _Trina threw her arms around her grandfather's legs, beaming with joy as he reached down and hugged her. "My, my, I've not seen you since you were three feet." David plopped onto the couch, rolling his eyes and smirking._

 _"Again, Dad, we were just here a month ago. She hasn't sprouted up that quickly."_

 _Trina threw her hands behind her back and leaned forward, grinning at her father. "Come on daddy, he's got dementia, right grandpa?" David raised an eyebrow and his father belted with laughter._

 _"I see you've got my daughter trained already. I don't think she even knows what dementia is yet." He snapped his fingers and pointed. "Which you don't have."_

 _"Worth a try, son. Worth a try."_

 _"Oh George." Rose swat her hand in the air and walked past. "Goodness. Come with me Katrina, I've baked some delicious brownies for you to try." David looked over his shoulder with a sigh, having given up on complaining about them spoiling his daughter long ago._

 _Trina ran after her and David picked up a book from the end table. "Don't eat too much before supper, Trina!" He called, despite knowing there was little use in his suggestion._

 _Hours later, after dinner, the four were lounging in the living room. David was in the bathroom shower while Trina played a game on the console hooked to the television. George was playing with her, and Rose was doing the dishes._

 _The game was a golf game, one of George's favorites. Trina had been learning to play it for a while, so she was decent at it._

 _She pushed up on the analog stick, smirking when her well-aimed shot went in the hole. "My, my, you're getting good at this," George praised her. He hit his shot, and the ball went out of bounds. Trina saw his thumb pushing the analog stick to the left just before the hit, so she knew it was done purposefully. "Damn."_

 _"Grandpa be fair, I don't want to win because you let me."_

 _George laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll be serious."_

 _As the game continued, Trina became complacent and focused solely on it and the sound of running water. The fun times only silenced when she heard her grandmother scream from the other room. Trina turned her head and her eyes widened when she saw two men standing in the kitchen with guns pointed at her grandmother._

 _"Grandma!"_

 _George looked up and his game controller fell from his trembling hands. "What? Who are you! What are you doing in my house?" One of the two men, taller and with long brown hair and a muscular build, turned his gun onto George._

 _"First off, we're going to find every item worth value in this house old man, and then we're going to have some fun. First thing I want you to do is tell me where your son is."_

 _George's head vibrated as his voice bellowed. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's only my wife and granddaughter. Leave now before I call the police." The man chuckled and took a step forward._

 _"You can't fool me old fuck, I know he's here. David Vega. Where is-"_

 _"Psst Ned," spoke the shorter man. This one was bald and had a long red beard. "I hear running water. Somebody's in the shower." Ned's eyebrows rose and he started to laugh._

 _"Well I'll be damned, not a bad job Wallace." Trina's eyes shot to the hallway and she held her breath as the running water stopped. Her heart was racing and a scream caught in her throat, too afraid to let it out. "Okay. You three stay right where you are and don't try anything funny, you hear?"_

 _"I'd do what the man says," Wallace hissed. Trina glared at the man and then whimpered as Ned approached the walkway to the hall. Half of his mouth rose, revealing a portion of his teeth._

 _David's heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the living room. Trina wanted to cry out, tell her father to run or to stay back, but fear had paralyzed her. Instead, she hugged her grandfather to protect him while her grandmother tried hiding her phone from Wallace's view to call the police._

 _"Okay," David said while rounding the corner. He was fully dressed and drying his face with a towel. "How's the game going out here?"_

 _"Pretty great," Ned responded. David paused, slowly taking his towel away and turning his head. Ned grinned further and tilted his head. "Remember us, Dave? You fucked us over, threw us in jail a few years back." David's eyes widened and Ned slammed the end of his pistol down on the man's head. "Thought we'd pay our respects."_

 _Within minutes they had the family held in the center of the living room and had David tied up and sitting on the couch. "What do you want?" David growled. "I'll give you anything, just stay away from my family."_

 _"No, you see…" Ned paced in front of Trina and started to chuckle. "What you did? You ruined our lives. We lost our family, and you know what?" Without missing a beat, Ned pointed his gun to George's head and fired a shot. Trina screamed in horror as her grandfather fell back, and Rose threw her arms around her husband, crying out. "So will you."_

 _"Dad!" David's body lurched forward and he struggled in his binds, but couldn't break free. They'd tied the rope fully around his body, locking his arms underneath. Then they had his wrists and ankles bound._

 _Trina tried reaching out for her grandfather, weeping as the old man's blood spilled out onto her. "You assholes," David growled, "You won't get away with this."_

 _"Ah but we already have." Ned waved his hand in the air and motioned to Rose. The woman gasped and tensed as Wallace yanked her away from her husband and held her in place. "Wallace…if you will…I don't think we've made him pay enough."_

 _Trina reached for her grandmother and Ned grabbed the back of her shirt, yanking her back. "Don't you touch my daughter, bastard!" Ned raised his eyebrows and looked down at Trina._

 _"Oh, well, I see where his main concern is." Trina hissed at Ned, kicking her foot into his shin. The man jerked back and cried out in pain. "Goddamn it." The man promptly swung down, striking her on the side of the face. The slap sent her to the ground, stinging worse than a wasp's sting. "You're going to pay for that, you little tart."_

 _David tried struggling further, shouting at Ned for laying a hand on his daughter._

 _Just then a shot rang out and everyone fell silent. Trina jerked her head upright and her eyes flooded with tears. Wallace had one hand on Rose's shoulder and a gun at the back of her head. The woman's eyes grew dim and her head started to fall forward._

 _"G-Grandma."_

 _Wallace looked at Trina with a sick grin and squinted his eyes. "And then there was the little girl." He let Rose fall to the side and approached Trina slowly. David's screaming turned to pleas and his struggling increased. "What will we do with this one, Ned?"_

 _Trina froze as Wallace firmly clutched her shoulders and forced her in place. Ned chuckled sinisterly and lowered his gun. "Whatever you like, Wallace. Let the cop watch as we tear his little angel apart…"_

David sped down the freeway, potentially breaking every traffic law in the book, as the same memory unfolded in his head. His hands were firm against the steering wheel and his knuckles were white as chalk.

His face was ashen and his eyes were wet with tears, red with pain. "Damn it Gary," he muttered, "I know you know where she is. You little prick, you're going to tell me." Ever since he lost touch with Gary, he decided to stop trying to find Trina because he figured she didn't want to be found. Now, he needed to find her.

Ned and Wallace didn't kill them that night because the police arrived, but it was too late. They'd already brutalized his daughter before his eyes. They got the revenge they wanted, he'd been unable to protect her.

The men took off and managed to elude capture for an incredibly long time. By the time Mexican authorities found them living somewhere in the deep south of Mexico, Trina had already left.

When they had been found, David wanted so badly to get his hands on them. If he had, he would have given them an incredibly slow and painful death, making sure first to revive them any time they passed out.

God how he fantasized about their imminent torture and death for so long. Now, with what happened to Holly and Tori, his nightmares and flashbacks were returning full force.

He had to find Trina. Even times in the past when he had visited Gary, the man would claim knowing nothing about Trina's whereabouts. David knew the man was lying, but could do nothing about it. Trina was an adult and if she wanted not to be found, then she would not be found.

Trina pulled herself out of the bed and looked to the wall in front of her. She was horrified thinking about what could have happened to Tori and her mother, and in assigning blame, she wanted to think maybe it was someone that had it out for her father that did the crime.

As she moved into the living room where her godparents and Martin were sitting, a weight pulled at her. She knew they could see her tears, and she didn't care. Martin stood the minute he saw her and walked over, extending his arms to her. "Ellie, what's going on? Talk to me."

She leaned into him, her arms folded over her stomach. His hands caressed her elbows and upper arms as her head buried into his chest. "I don't know how to say it, I don't know how to say any of it." She was considering travel to LA, she wanted to visit her sister and attend her mother's funeral. "There are some things…I haven't been completely honest with you, Martin." He furrowed his brow and she turned her gaze up into his eyes. "I love you. I don't want to lose you. I want you to understand, the things about me you don't know, the reasons I have…"

Gary looked up and over to his door, squinting at it. Martin appeared confused and concerned, and Trina didn't know how she could alleviate anything. She took a deep breath, holding it for a minute while studying the look in his eyes. They were uncertain and nervous, but she had a feeling he'd be supportive of her if she was at least honest.

"For starters…I'm happy with my new job, but I've always wanted to be a homicide detective. That's my real goal." Martin shrugged and nodded his head.

"That's not so bad."

"Also, I've been going by my middle name for the last ten years." Martin raised an eyebrow and nodded again, keeping silent. "Katrina is the name you'll find on my birth certificate."

"So I should start calling you Trina?"

"If you want. Most people in my life now call me Ellie." She lowered her arms and took a small step back. Her voice trembled and tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm going to have to go to LA for a while, I think. There, I go by Trina."

"Okay? Should we talk about this? You're not planning on moving there, are you? We've already settled."

"No. No, I think I just need to be there." She wiped her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve and glanced to the windows beside the door. Her eyebrows rose when she saw movement. "There's someone at the door."

"I know," Gary said with a huff, "And I know who…" The man set his phone down on the coffee table, where Trina could see a text message from someone telling Gary he was coming over whether he wanted him too or not. Her throat constricted and her hand moved over her mouth.

Before Gary could get to the door, it swung open, spilling light all across the room. David stepped forward, standing as still as a tree and looking hard as rock. "Gary. I want to know where my daughter is, and I want to know now. I'm done with the games." Trina closed her eyes as her husband twisted around, raising his voice.

"Who are you? This isn't your home to just barge into."

David glared at the man, flaring his nostrils. "I'll barge in when I know someone is keeping my family at bay." Gary locked his wrists behind his back and bowed his head.

"She made that decision on her own, Dave. I never forced or suggested anything."

Not wanting a fight to break out, Trina stepped into view. She was too upset to react adversely, and too frozen with grief and anxiety to truly move. "I'm right here, Dad." Martin looked back at her, his eyes growing large.

"What?" Trina bowed her head and laced her fingers together in front of her waist. "Isn't Gary-"

"He's my godfather, Martin. He's basically been my dad for the last ten years."

David's eyes narrowed and he started to turn to Gary. "You…" He breathed in deep and Gary raised his head slowly. "All along? You had my daughter all this time?" David's voice started to rise, shaking tremendously with each word. "Even when I came to your house looking in the past, she was with you this _entire time?!"_

"Hold on." Martin rubbed his head vigorously and groaned. "What don't I know about you?" Trina shrugged.

"I was raised in Los Angeles. Had a mom, a dad, and a sister." Her voice choked and the tears started running down her face. "I have-had an entire life that I put behind me because none of it was good."

"So…I know next to nothing about you? Nothing's real?"

"That's not true!" She raised her head, gasping aloud. "Martin, I love you. That's true, that's real. I want to be a detective, that's true." Martin ran his hand behind his head and looked at Gary and Carol, who had grown incredibly silent.

"But you don't trust me. If you trusted me, you would have been honest from the start…"

"Martin, no…" She began to shake, her heart breaking and sinking as the man shook his head and started to walk away. She reached for his arm, but he pulled it away with a sigh. "Martin!"

"I need some time to think, Ellie. Trina. Whatever your name is…" Martin looked at Gary, squinted, then looked at David. "It's good to meet you Mr.-" He looked back at Trina, frowning deeply. "Your maiden name isn't Lawton, is it?" She closed her eyes, feeling her entire body on the brink of collapse.

"Vega." She felt like a pane of glass, ready to shatter with the next word that came out of his mouth. She was hurt and angry, angry at her dad for interrupting this moment and angry at herself for having kept everything about her life from her husband. "I-I was afraid, Martin."

"I'm sorry." He cupped his hand over his mouth and shut his eyes. "I need to think." Trina gasped as he left the house. She wanted to run after him, plead with him to listen to her reasons.

Carol hurried to her side, catching her as she dropped to her knees. "It's okay honey," Carol said with a soft and warm voice. "He'll come around. It's just a lot to take in, sweetie." Her entire body was numb with anguish, and her mind was reeling with thoughts.

"W-What…" She raised her eyes to her father, glaring with fire at the man. "What are you doing here, Dad?"

"I'm here to take you home, Trina."

"This _is_ my home." She stood shakily, raising her voice and pointing out the door. "That was my husband that just walked out!" David frowned and guilt flashed before his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. "I have a career here. I have a life here. You can't just waltz in here and force me to go to LA."

"No one's forcing you. I won't force you. You're a grown woman." David walked forward, looking back in her eyes. "But I am still your father. A father that hasn't seen his daughter in _ten years_. I just lost half my family, one of my children is in a coma, and I had no way of knowing if you were okay because this prick-" His voice lashed out as he jerked his thumb to Gary. "-Wouldn't even tell me you were okay."

"Don't you dare blame or accuse him." She pulled away from Carol, stepping closer to her father. Anyone in the room could feel the heat rising as though the entire home had been set ablaze. "I told him I wanted nothing to do with any of you. I told him not to say anything. Me. It was all me, Dad."

"Come home, Trina."

"This is home." She needed to go to LA anyway, but damn her father if he thought he was going to make her. Here, she was calling the shots. As it so happened, an idea struck her that would perhaps be negotiable to him.

She wanted to find out what happened to her sister and her mother. She wanted to look into the case herself. "Who's handling Tori's case, Dad?" David rolled his eyes and looked away, crossing his arms. She replied firmly, narrowing her eyes. "Who is handling her and mom?"

The man unfolded his arms and pointed to himself. "I am. I'm the best homicide detective we got, and I don't trust anyone else with that case."

"You're emotionally charged." She cocked her head and started to hum. "I want to work that case with you. I want to help. You're too worked up with emotions."

He grunted in reply. "So are you." She shrugged and crossed her arms.

"We can help each other. Hell, maybe even bring Gary along."

"I'm retired," Gary muttered, "There's no way in hell."

She hardly heard what he said, her focus was too much onto her father. "I'll only go to LA if you let me help find out who hurt my mother and who hurt my sister."

David took a breath, eventually nodding his head. "Fine, I'll let you work the case. If it gets you there-"

"But it's temporary." She raised her hand up, then pointed to the ground. "I'm coming back here after we solve the crime. It's just going to be for this one thing that I'll go to LA with you, but I am not staying." David wrinkled his brow and frowned deeply, staring at her for the longest time.

She was unrelenting in her position, firm in her pose and stern in her expression. He needed to understand how serious she was Finally he broke, giving in. "Okay." He turned away. "Gather up your things, we leave immediately."

"Excuse me?"

"I have to be back, we have a homicide to solve."

* * *

And the tide comes rolling in, in the worst way possible probably. So what are your thoughts on it all? We see the shared memory affecting both Trina and her father, and now she's en route to LA. But there's also the issue of her husband, having just learned there's a whole life Trina has never trusted him with. It's hard to swallow, because he loves her but doesn't know how to digest this. Give your thoughts, and be ready, we hit the investigation next.


	4. Crime Scene Investigation

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: IMPORTANT-I'm updating a little early to tell you this. Someone speculated due to the flashback from the past chapter, I need to clarify. The incident that occurred, Ned and Wallace DID NOT sexually assault a twelve year old child. That is not what happened to Trina. She was tortured in front of her father, yes, beaten and brutalized severely-but she was not sexually assaulted. I want to make that clear. The men from that time were not sex offenders, nor child predators. They wanted to make David suffer, and they did by inflicting a great deal of pain on his daughter.

* * *

Chapter 4 (Crime Scene Investigation)

The drive back to LA, though quiet, was filled with tears and broken ringing. Trina had tried desperately to contact Martin, sending him texts and phone calls which were never answered. She knew he needed time, but questioned how much time he needed.

She didn't say much in the one voicemail she left him, only reiterating how much she loved and needed him, and how sorry she was for not being honest with him about herself.

It didn't make reentry into LA any easier. She now worked for her father as a temporary homicide detective. Chief Perez gave her the time off, but said she would still be able to actively work if she needed-her contact between the departments would have to be through video if nothing else.

Commander Chapman of the SST wished her well too, saying she looked forward to working with her once she returned. Gary and Carol were sad to see her leave, but hopeful in her return, and of course Gary did offer to give advice on the case should they need him for anything.

"First stop." David pulled up to the house and Trina felt a chill shoot down her spine. She turned to look at the home, grimacing when she saw the shattered window. David turned, hanging his elbow over the seat and studied the home with pain filled eyes. "I know it isn't going to be easy on you."

"I'll be fine." She took a deep breath and pushed open the car door. It was horrible to come to her childhood home and see this. "No one's touched the crime scene?"

"Our forensics team of course, but no. Nothing's changed." David's voice was tense and breathy. "My name's still on the deed, I still own the home. It's a crime scene now, so I'm not doing anything to the house until we figure out what happened."

"Good." She tugged on her jacket and approached, denoting everything around her and being careful of where she stepped.

There was a rock positioned on the ground under the shattered window. She crouched in front of it and studied the lawn. "Any weather conditions? Strong winds?" David moved up behind her, shaking his head. She pointed to the rock, then to an area of the dirt between two bushes. "There's a partial shoe print here."

"Yeah we caught it too." David crouched beside her, staring at the dirt. An exhale drifted from his nose. His right hand hovered above the print, and his finger uncurled. "We took a mold of the print. It appears to be a workman's boot, possibly size ten or eleven."

Trina's forehead crinkled and her eyes drifted to the window. She could see a bit of blood on the windowsill. Her stomach churned and her heart began to sink. "Are you going to be okay Trina?" She knew in order to solve this case, they were going to have to separate themselves from the ties they had to it. David was able to do this with some difficulty, so she was going to do the same.

"Quit fussing over me. Let's focus on this." She pulled on a pair of black gloves and reached for the window. Hanging from it was a piece of cloth. "What's this?"

"Fibers from a shirt." David crossed his arms and cracked his neck from left to right. "Black in color. Cotton." He scratched his chin and narrowed his eyes. "Possibly torn as the perpetrator made his way inside."

"No prints?"

"No. Just the blood on the windowsill." He whisked his hand away as though it were pushed by a gust of wind. "It came back a match to Jade West and an unknown profile." At the mention of Jade's name, Trina felt a rush of air shoot through her. It reminded her just how real all of this was. "She was standing at the window when the perp shattered the glass. Somehow, she was cut first by flying shards."

Trina picked up a rock from off the sidewalk and stood in front of the window, contemplating the physics. "So. I'm standing here with a rock in my hand, ready to break in." She moved the rock forward slowly. "Breaking the window with the rock. Shards ought to be flying at me, right?"

"It's blunt force breakage, which tends to harbor slightly different rules than if glass is broken by a bullet." David motioned to the rock on the ground and Trina followed his gesture. "The perp pushed the rock forward through the glass and left it outside, so it was not thrown. Most of the shards have been picked up by the crime lab, so I'll have to send them in to collect the rest."

It seemed like the entire window had been blown out, so she was certain the perp didn't take a sole strike. With that said, it made more sense in her head how Jade could have been injured by the window fragments. "How close was she to the window?"

"The team reconstructed the window and found a hand print, with some blood. It was determined that she had her arm outstretched and her hand on the window as it was broken." Then it was possible Jade saw the killer. If she had survived, she would be a crucial witness.

"She's the best witness we have, right?"

"Yes and no…" David sighed and moved for the front door. Trina followed after him, furrowing her brow. "She's been so traumatized that she isn't talking, however paramedics indicated that she was conscious and alert when they arrived. Which means she saw the entire crime unfold." He pocketed his hands and stood in place on the first step up to the door. "Unfortunately it seems she is also suffering a case of amnesia. How strong or mild hasn't been determined yet."

"Shit." It pissed her off knowing the soul witness to the crime couldn't be of help. "Was she dating anyone? Where was her boyfriend at the time?" She didn't know if Beck and Jade were still together, but she had a hunch.

"Beck Oliver is her husband. They married a couple years ago. He was at home during the night of the attack, sleeping off a headache." David pushed open the door, holding his breath and closing his eyes. "Goddamn," he muttered, "It still smells in here."

The powerful scent of death and blood struck Trina's sinuses and struck her with a bitter feeling. When she stepped in, the nausea in her gut grew worse, flaring up like a storm.

Blood was all over the living room, splattered on the couch, walls, and pooled onto the floor. There were many yellow markers to indicate places of interest. The couch looked like it had been torn apart.

She brought her hands over her mouth, crying out into them as she thought about how much life she'd lived in this home. Now it was torn apart, destroyed by a criminal filled with hate. "W-What happened here, Dad?" David took a deep breath and extended his hand to a marker on the ground in front of the window.

"That's where Jade was cut by the shards of glass. She turned to run away, and was shot in the back. The bullet tore through her sciatic nerve, paralyzing her." Trina's stomach lurched and she started to look towards a blood pool next to the couch.

"What about there?"

"Andre Harris." David swept his hand down his face, still breathing heavily. His eyes filled with sorrow and anger. "Was shot point blank. Judging by the scorch marking on his forehead, the gun was a matter of inches away when fired. The bullet exited from the back of his head and lodged itself into the couch."

The next person she wanted to know about was the hardest for her to hear. She didn't want to know, but at the same time, knew how important it was that she did. "Tori?" She looked up at her father, watching how he trembled like he was about to fall over.

"She'd been thrown to the ground and beaten severely. Markings on her jaw and face indicated the assailant had some kind of tool on his hand. Possibly rings or brass knuckles." Trina coughed as bile shot up through her esophagus. "She's in a comatose state right now. We believe at the moment that Holly may have startled the assailant in the middle of this attack."

"Why?"

"She placed a 9-1-1 call. On that call we could hear Tori screaming and Jade saying something in the background. We heard Holly confront the attacker…she was shot three times. There were four shots, but one missed…" He pointed to a bullet hole in the wall nearby and Trina turned her attention to it.

It was higher up, indicating a trajectory that suggested the shooter had been aiming for Holly's head from the ground and missed. "Where was she shot?" She digested the news with difficulty and prepared to look at this as though she did not know the victims.

"One hit her on the right side of her upper chest, the next shot hit her in the middle of her torso, and the third struck her left abdomen. She was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital."

"Any potential leads on suspects yet?" David shook his head.

"No. I know because half the time it is a spouse or something, that we have to consider Beck as a suspect, but the crime scene doesn't indicate Jade as a strong target. She may have just been collateral, in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"The scene indicates Tori might have been the target." She knew if the perp pinned her sister down and brutalized her with their fists, then a lot of hatred was fueled in the attack, making Tori a good case for the key target. "We should focus on her then. Do you know of anything she might have been involved in, or if she knew anyone that might want to harm her."

"Sadly I can't say I do." David crossed his arms and continued to walk the scene with Trina, being careful not to step on anything. "She was a lot like you. After the divorce, she wanted nothing to do with me. Holly kept in touch once in a while, but eventually that tapered off."

"Why did the two of you divorce?"

"Long hours, lots of stress." He exhaled and shook his head. "I couldn't be there emotionally for them, and eventually we decided it was best to separate. It was mutual, but I know your sister thought I was giving up. She considered me a failure, said I failed at everything." David paused and ran his hand over the back of his neck, sighing loudly. "Maybe she's right. I couldn't protect them, couldn't protect anybody."

"Must be difficult." She slid her hands along her waist and into her pants. "Feeling like you can't protect the people you care most about." She took a deep breath and David's ancient looking eyes slid over to her. "I'm going to have to see the crime photographs, aren't I?"

She was dreading it, but there was no getting around it. "Yeah. You are." They examined the scene a little more, taking note of every little thing they could find that was out of place, then they moved to the backyard.

The glass door was wide open, with no fingerprints. There was very little disturbance to the environment. "They climbed over the fence and took off into the night."

Trina exhaled, remembering Ned and Wallace. "Just like those bastards…" She was determined now. She would find whoever did this and punish them with the fullest extent of the law. "California. Bastard should be put to death, but no. Fucking state doesn't believe in the death penalty. You commit murder, take a life from somebody knowingly and willingly, I think you should be sentenced to death. Plain and simple."

"People here don't see things through the eyes of a victim, Trina. They see a hardened criminal on death row and say 'poor guy has so much he could achieve in life if only they'd let him live'."

"Fuck that." She pulled off her gloves while walking to the car. "Whoever did this deserves to be lined up in front of a firing squad as far as I'm concerned. There was no mercy shown in this attack, so why in the hell would they deserve any mercy whatsoever?"

"I wish I could explain that. I don't think anyone can."

She yanked the passenger door open and looked out at David. "Whoever did this…if they get anything less than life without parole, I am going to start a shit storm."

"I think life without parole is a pretty good guarantee. Two murders, premeditation and intent to kill is clear. Two attempts-though if either of the two that survived…succumb to their injuries…it would be three murders. In the state of Texas, and others, that's death."

"Pity this isn't Texas." She settled into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut, glaring down the road ahead of her. "Let's go to the hospital first. I want to see Tori and Jade."

"Oh Jade too?"

"She's a damn witness, Dad. We have to see her, it doesn't mean I want to see her in the same way I want to see my sister."

"I know." David started up the car and placed his hands on the steering wheel. His expression grew tight and his hands started to shake. "I agree with you though. Whoever did this deserves nothing less than life in prison without parole, and then I hope they burn in hell."

* * *

Here we go, the investigation thus begins. What are your thoughts here?


	5. Survivors

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 5 (Survivors)

With burglary ruled out, they needed to think about a motive. Unfortunately David had been forcibly ejected from his family's life so he knew very little about what they were doing or what they had been involved with. It didn't help Trina either since she'd willingly made the choice to leave them behind ten years ago.

On the way to the hospital, David tried to inform her of what the victims had been up to. Jade and Andre weren't difficult, since the families had already been notified and told him what their children were doing.

It seemed that Andre and Tori had been dating, but they rarely talked about their relationship. Andre had a bachelor's degree in videography and was working as a photographer for _Randal Shell Photography_. Tori dropped out of college some time ago to take a break and had begun working with Andre at the same company as a model. It seemed likely that Andre had helped her get a job there.

The jobs didn't appear to be any that would carry a connotation of turning someone against you. Their boss, Heidi Marks, informed the police that the pair got along well with the other photographers and models, and couldn't think of anything they were doing that would have made someone angry with them.

Jade had been working, ironically, at a daycare opened up by a woman named Samantha Benson and her husband. She was a receptionist at the daycare center, and talked very little about her personal life.

David mentioned that in talking with Samantha, he did discover Jade often talked very little about her husband, if she talked about anything. What was said was she was always afraid Beck would cheat on her or leave her.

"The problem with that train of thought is she was like that in high school," Trina remarked. "She never had much reason other than lack of trust and confidence for feeling that way."

"You're right. There's no evidence suggesting that Beck had any kind of affairs either." David turned into the hospital parking lot and shrugged. "Mrs. Benson did indicate that Jade appeared bored with her marriage, she kept talking about wanting to try something outside of routine, but Beck always wanted to do the same old thing-whatever that was."

"What does Beck do for a living?"

"Works at a glass shop, I believe. He's the foreman for _Shapers Glass Company_."

"Puts in a lot of hours, I'll bet." Trina rubbed her right temple and gazed out the side window. "For a bored housewife working as a receptionist at a daycare center, that can be pure torture."

"Sure. Again, however, we have a supervisor telling us that our victim didn't appear to be involved in anything aside from their job." David rolled his head to the side and frowned. "Though Heidi did say Tori and Andre seemed to be growing apart lately as well."

"I'd almost think that spells trouble, if it weren't for the fact that both of them are victims." Trina lowered her hand to her knee and frowned. "You could consider that Andre or Tori wanted to separate and have some kind of financial incentive to hire a hitman to kill the other…but if that were the case, with both of them attacked, that would be the sloppiest hitman I've ever seen." David chuckled once and nodded his reply.

"I can't say I've ever seen a hitman that stupid. So stupid they kill not only their target, but the person paying them to off someone else." David parked the car in a spot close to the door and shut off the engine. "We still can't eliminate the possibility of this being a paid hit."

"Seems odd, with the amount of hate inflicted on Tori." She pursed her lips and scratched the bottom of her chin. "Would a hitman do that?"

"Maybe if they were ordered to. I can't see a hired gun doing that amount of damage without being told to do it. Not to mention, they're only going to take out their intended target most of the time."

They made their way through the hospital, staying silent as a nurse guided them to Tori. Before stepping into the room, Trina took several deep, calming breaths and even checked her phone just to see if her husband might have sent her something. It was a distraction, if nothing else.

She pushed her way into the room and set eyes onto her sister. The girl had changed a good deal in the last ten years. Her hair was much longer and she looked incredibly frail. "She does eat, right?"

"Her agency actually believes if you way more than one hundred and thirty pounds, you're considered fat. They don't like their models to eat much. Although, I'm not sure how much of her weight is attributed to malnutrition." David walked over to his daughter and placed a strong hand on the girl's forehead.

Tori looked like she was asleep within a net of tubes. Her face was swollen, bruised and scarred. The only sound in the entire room was the life support monitor, echoing like mad in Trina's head.

David exhaled and shut his eyes. "She's HIV positive." Trina's eyes shot open and she nearly fell back as his words cut into her like a knife. "Has been since she left college three years ago."

"What? I-I can't believe…" Tori had waited a few years to go to college, attending when she turned twenty-two. According to David, he knew Tori left at the age of twenty-five with one year to go. It was also around this time that she begun to date Andre and was convinced to become a model. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I know we found traces of HIV in Andre's system as well, but we aren't sure who infected who. I'm not so sure Tori was active in college, but I have no way of knowing that information."

"Did either of them realize it?"

"It appears neither of them realized it. Their employers didn't notice, Andre's family were surprised to hear about it, and neither had medicine or doctors that indicated a knowledge."

"Oh." Her heart broke as she walked towards her baby sister. She laid a hand on Tori's arm and tears started to fill her eyes. "Oh Tori…" In this state, she wasn't sure how long Tori could last. She hoped her sister would pull through, and would do anything she could to see it happen. "Oh god, I wish I had known."

"Not your fault. There's nothing you could have done."

"Still." She wrapped her fingers around Tori's wrist and lowered her head, gently kissing her sister's hand. "Oh Tori…" Her tears fell from her eyes and landed on her sister's hand. "Wake up soon, little sister."

It may have been so long, and she might have been influenced by Tori, but that didn't mean she loved her sister any less. "I'm not angry at you anymore," She whispered to her sister, "I hope you know that. I've always loved you, I always will. If you pull through…god, I swear I will still be your sister." She placed her hand over Tori's and closed her eyes.

It was hard to believe she was standing here, having gone through what Tori did and survived while her sister was in a coma. Flashes of her attack came to her in strides, making it more difficult. _"Daddy! Daddy help!"_

 _"Keep her pinned, Wallace." Trina struggled as Wallace's grip tightened on her small arms. Ned slammed his pistol into her body multiple times, kicking her in the sides and in the head. David screamed at the men, cursing them and pleading for them to stop._

 _Wallace raised his fist high into the air and Trina turned her head, wincing as he brought it down onto her. Each blow was like a brick, crushing her and turning her bones to brittle._

 _The man got off her, enabling Ned to pick her up and slam her into the television and gaming set. She screamed as blood splashed from her. "Twist her arm, Wallace. Let's see how Daddy dearest responds."_

 _David growled. "Don't you dare let me out of these ropes, I'll tear you apart for this you goddamn bastards." Trina cried in horror as Wallace twisted her arm back, then struck her elbow upwards. "Katrina!" David lurched forward, tears in his eyes. "Damn it, you're killing her!"_

 _"Kind of the point, detective." Ned grabbed Trina by the back of her head and yanked her backwards. Her vision was blurred and her body hung limp and numb. "We ain't done just yet, so stay alive." She moved her eyes over, shivering as she was in too much pain to weep. The man dropped her to the ground and Ned waved Wallace over. "Beat her up a bit more, but not too much. We don't want to killer her yet, I want to drag this out for her father."_

 _Wallace instead put his hands around her throat, squeezing so hard she could almost feel the air in her lungs evaporating. She strained herself, slamming her hand on the ground while trying to breathe._

 _"Sadistic shits." David struggled in his bonds, crying out. "Hold on Trina. I'm here. I-"_

 _"Shut up." Ned pistol whipped David, causing him to jerk and gnash his teeth._

 _Once in a while Wallace would remove his hands, allowing her to take a deep breath; but once the oxygen returned he went back to compressing her neck until her vision blurred. All along he was laughing and taunting her, taking great enjoyment in her pain._

 _Police sirens stopped their beating short, but the two men took off out the back and over the fence. Trina survived the attack by a miracle, making it out with broken ribs, a broken arm and a broken leg. She had a collapsed lung and was covered with blood and bruises._

Her heart shook with tremendous force, creating a sharp pain in her chest. She gasped out as her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Trina. I…I don't know what to say." She looked at him, sniffing as she saw the tears rolling away from his eyes.

Her head moved to his shoulder and she turned towards him, weeping softly. No words were needed, and for once in a long time, they could be on the same level.

They mourned for a while longer before saying their goodbyes to Tori. The doctors could sustain her for a time, hopefully long enough for her to wake up. However, she was terrified of Tori slipping further into an HIV-induced coma.

Looking down the hallway they saw someone pushing a woman in a wheelchair. Trina squinted at the person, denoting the masculine form and dark black, wavy hair, cut short and parted at the side. "Hey Dad?"

"Yes?"

"That guy looks familiar."

"He should. That's Beck Oliver." Trina gasped and stopped in place while her father walked forward and raised his hand. "Mr. Oliver, over here if you please." Beck stopped and turned his head. His bushy eyebrows slid towards the center. He had a thick moustache and stubble in place of a beard. "Can you spare a moment?"

"Certainly," Beck replied. As he begun to turn, Trina noticed the woman in the wheelchair. She had shoulder length, dark hair, and pale skin. She wore a long dark dress and her hands were folded in her lap. She also had multiple cuts along her face and right arm.

Trina's voice grew soft and her eyebrows curled up in the center. "Jade." She watched the woman raise her head, then watched as the woman's eyebrows started to rise. "Poor woman. Having to go through that."

Beck rolled her over and his eyebrows flattened. "Trina, wow, how long has it been?"

"Ten years." Beck was wearing an overcoat and blue fingerless motorcycle gloves. "Motorcycle gloves? You ride?"

"Yeah, not so much anymore." He motioned his head to the side and hummed. "Screwed up my back in an accident once." Jade looked up at her husband, furrowing her brow. She tapped her hands gently on her legs. Beck clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Driving down the street and as I'm crossing over, some jerk runs the stop sign and hits the back end of my bike. Fortunately we weren't travelling fast, but I flew off and rolled across the ground."

"I'm sorry to hear about that." She looked at Jade once more, feeling more of a pang of sorrow. "I'm sorry about what your wife is going through as well." Beck closed his eyes and let out a shallow breath of air.

"I don't even know where to begin. Jade can't remember anything. It's like, I don't know…" He breathed in and looked at his wife with a sad smile. "I'm just glad she's alive." His eyebrows rose and he looked at Trina with a mournful look. "Tori and your mother. I can't possibly imagine how difficult…"

"You were still friends with Tori, weren't you?"

"Yeah." He ran his hand across his face, sweeping away a tear. "I mean, we weren't as close as we used to be in high school. Just drifting apart. Jade was the only thing really keeping that friendship a friendship."

It was a sad story, she never thought she'd see the day Beck and Tori drifted apart. Yet it was natural, and very rare for people to stay friends after high school and college. The mind was always changing and a person never stopped growing, so it didn't surprise her in the slightest. "What about Andre?" She crossed her arms. "The two of you were best friends."

"Of course. He was my longest friend. To say we drifted would be false, but it was starting to go that way. Once he got wrapped up in his job at the modeling agency and I started working at the glass shop, we just got busy and stopped talking to each other."

She wondered how Beck managed to work in the industry he did with back trouble. It wasn't impossible, but it couldn't be easy. "It must cause a lot of stress to work in your career with a bad back."

"Yeah, but I manage." He swept his hand through his hair. "Motrin helps." Beck took a deep breath and looked down the hallway with a deepening frown. "We just got done visiting Tori…I wish I had been there, maybe I could have done something. Maybe I could have prevented it."

"You don't know what could have happened." Trina reached out, patting Beck gently on the shoulder. "Be with your wife though. She needs you." He wasn't quite a suspect yet, but he likely realized they were going to have to look at him at some point. She didn't want to say it now, rather just to be cordial given what he was going through in the moment. "If Jade remembers anything at all, give us a call, okay?"

"I will." Beck sniffed and looked down at his wife. He moved a hand to Jade's shoulder and Trina cast a soft smile as the woman leaned to the right and looked up into her husband's eyes. "I'll do everything in my power to help you guys find whoever did this to Jade and the others. Make them pay."

"Take it easy Beck. Get some rest."

"You too."

The couple left, disappearing around the corner. Trina shook her head and turned away, thinking about their next move. They needed to get to the morgue now, which was going to be incredibly hard for her. She needed to see her mother's body, and of course, Andre's as well.

* * *

Well, there's a good chunk of stuff in this chapter. Tell me what your thoughts and observations are


	6. Number of Suspects

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 6 (Numerous Suspects)

She wanted her husband here, and she wanted him here now. Martin still wasn't responding to her, which she understood, but she still needed support from him. Parked at a stoplight, Trina held her phone in her trembling hands and stared at it with tears in her eyes.

"He'll call," David said with a quiet voice. Trina's body shook and her father looked at her with a furrowed brow. "If he's any kind of man, any kind of husband, he'll call. Just give him some time." She wiped the tears from her cheek and lifted her head.

"How much time does he need?"

"As much as it takes him to swallow everything." The light changed, so David started driving again. Trina switched off the display of her phone and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by. "Tell me about him." Trina took a breath and her mouth turned to a broad smile.

"He's a nut. The good kind." David chuckled. His eyebrows rose and he turned his head slightly. Trina's leg swayed gently as she bit the corner of her lip. "Cheesy and fun, incredibly smart. He's got a master's degree in history and taught at a university for a while."

"Past tense?"

She curled her hair over her ear and smacked her lips. "Yeah, he got laid off just after our wedding. At the same time, Deputy Chief Perez said the sheriff department was going through a hiring freeze. We both were without a job, but he continued to do his best to find work and we supported each other…"

"I see."

"We had to move in with Gary and Carol down at that retirement community they live in." She laughed once, remembering how terrible she felt about that. It wasn't so bad in the long run, but Martin was the one that tried to be optimistic about it.

"Martin found work at an auto shop, because he'd done some body work on cars when he was in college. I decided to volunteer with the SST. That's the sheriff support team, looking after the elderly. It wasn't much, but it was something. Gary might have thought I was giving up on my dream at first, but I wasn't. I had to wait out that freeze somehow."

"In the end, you got your career."

"Yeah. Two AC workers were breaking into homes, taking advantage of the elderly, and robbing them. I caught on because I saw the signs, but Commander Chapman didn't like that I was overstepping my bounds-we were very limited and according to her, I was acting on hunches without evidence or proof."

"Did you ever get proof?"

"Martin. Once Principal Beck called him and offered him a job as a substitute teacher." She closed her eyes, grinning wider. "He put some money to obtain public records for the two men, discovering a rap sheet for burglary and assault." She leaned her head against the window and her eyes opened halfway. "We staked them out, tried to video their robbery in progress."

David took a deep breath. "What happened?" Trina moved her eyes towards him and frowned deeply as she studied his stiff posture.

"They caught us." She saw her father's hands tense and a flash of fear shone in his eyes. "Took us to the car, trying to force us in. Then Martin." Trina chuckled and wiped her tears again. "Martin was firm, telling them we weren't getting in. He got hit pretty hard, but it was enough of a distraction."

"Meaning?"

"Gary followed us. He figured out we were staking them out and realized I was right about the string of robberies happening. So he knocked out one guy, distracting the main guy enough for me to kick the gun out of the man's hand and bring him to the ground."

David relaxed, beaming with pride at the story. "Pretty damn good of Gary to be there. My favorite part? You kicking the bad guy's ass." Her heart skipped and she straightened her posture, grinning wide with pride.

"Yeah. It was pretty badass." She punched forward twice, taking a breath with each punch. She laughed again and slowly shook her head. "Oh Commander Chapman was _pissed_ though. She suspended me from the SST."

"What?" David raised his hand, scoffing. "You prevented a robbery for Christ sake."

"That's what Gary said, but she wasn't hearing of it." David rolled his eyes and brought his hand down to the steering wheel. Trina crossed her arms and raised her shoulders. "Doesn't matter, because Deputy Perez was so impressed by what I had done. He said that maybe my tactics were a little unorthodox for the SST, but not for the Sheriff department. He still had the hiring freeze, but he created a position with me in mind."

She unfolded her arms, raising her hand to the air and looking at her father with a great deal of pride. "I had suggested before that maybe a more personal relationship between the SST and the Sheriff Department could benefit, so a liaison or something. He created a deputy liaison position and put me there."

"That a'girl."

"Yeah. It's great, but one day I'd like to move into something else."

"You still want to work homicide?" She hummed as David turned his eyes onto her. They pulled up in front of the morgue and shut off the car. "I remember you growing up, that's all you ever wanted to do was work homicide. It's rewarding, but the hours are long and the job is beyond stressful…I'd say it takes a certain kind of person with a certain kind of strength."

"We'll see, I guess." She still wanted to, but was reminded of the case she was doing now. David pressed his lips together and looked up at the morgue beside them. Her voice grew quiet and a soft exhale blew from her nostrils.

"Hell of a first homicide," they said together. Trina flinched and turned her head, flashing a smirk at her dad. "Jinx."

"I'll buy you a coffee," David said with a laugh.

They made their way through the morgue, each step felt heavier than the last. The coroner was ready for them, and Trina was surprised to see both Holly and Andre laid out on stretchers.

They'd already been cut into and stitched up. "Anything new, Dean?" David moved alongside his wife's body, looking Dean in the eyes. Trina was sick to her stomach, studying her mother closely while trying to keep from breaking down.

"Not much aside from what I've already told you. They were both shot by a 9mm caliber weapon. Smith and Wesson." Trina approached her mother's body, listening to the man's description of everything found as though it were background noise to her.

She curled her fingers over her mother's wrist, gasping at how cold the body was. The skin had been cleaned with great skill, showing the three holes in her body. The shots were not strategically aimed, and did appear more matched with the idea of a startled shooter firing off their remaining rounds.

This would match with a standard six bullet magazine capacity. One shot to Jade's back, one shot to Andre, and four remaining shots before the assailant took off running. Realizing this, Trina took a breath and let a whisper tremble from her lips.

"Mom might have saved Tori's life." David and Dean looked over, raising their eyebrows. Trina sniffed and raised her head up. "The shooter was startled by Mom, and emptied his weapon as a result. Four shots. Three hit her, but the other went into the wall. Andre and Jade had already been shot, so he couldn't execute Tori with the gun; and the police were closing in so he couldn't continue beating her to death before they caught him."

"That's a fair point." David rubbed his chin and hummed as he examined Holly's body. Dean moved over to Andre, motioning at him.

"I've also been able to determine that this man here has had HIV for approximately six years." Trina raised her eyes, scoffing slightly. "Possibly he contracted it from a former girlfriend of his."

"He's dated so many people in any given amount of time, it wouldn't surprise me." She folded her arms and glared down at the man, angry that it seemed more likely than not that he infected her sister. Her anger was brief, as her sense of duty took precedence more.

It could have been a revenge hit. If Andre infected someone, and that person or their significant other wanted to make him pay, this was a good way to do it. Except, she didn't buy that as a motive, as good as it sounded. Why go after Tori in the way the killer did if Andre was the sole target.

A new idea came to her mind for consideration; the possibility of multiple targets. It seemed unlikely, given the crime scene, but possible if the killer wanted to eliminate quickly and conserve their hatred and energy for a key person.

"There is every bit of hatred towards Andre as there is for Tori, you guys realize that?" She pressed her fingers down on the metal slab and looked up. David's hand was gripping his chin, his index finger sliding carefully across his upper lip. "Think about it." She pointed to the circular marking on Andre's forehead. "The attacker had the gun inches away from Andre's head. He was staring Andre in the eyes and pulled that trigger mercilessly."

"Maybe." David pulled his hand away and hummed. "When paramedics found him, they noted the state of his body. His eyes were open in surprise, like he saw the man behind the mask just before being shot."

"It's possible he knew the attacker."

"Of course, the level of attack suggests a crime done by someone that knew their victims." In the case of Andre, his shot was more personal. Jade was shot low as she was running, which told her the killer wanted to stop her. He took no further action against him. Holly was shot three times not because of any personal vendetta, but because the killer was startled and unloaded his clip into her. By this time, he was already fueled by adrenaline and anger towards Tori.

That left Andre. Shot point blank, staring into the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer. The killer would have seen the shock and terror in Andre's eyes, he would have watched the life flee from them, and he did not hesitate.

"Tori _and_ Andre were targets." Trina exhaled and moved away from the table. "What are some things we know they have in common? They work for a modeling agency."

David moved his hands behind his back and closed his eyes. "They both have HIV." Trina laid out the potential suspects and motives in her head, snapping her fingers as she went along.

"What about their boss? Heidi." David raised an eyebrow and watched her as she paced. "She runs a strict company, checks her employees. What if she discovered one of her models and a photographer had an STD?"

"She could have fired them and sent them on their way. What incentive would an employer have to murder?"

"They file for discrimination. They sue, claiming wrongful termination. It would cost her money if she lost."

"True." David tapped his upper lip twice and walked to the right. "We need more information. We need other suspects." He lowered his hand. "Can we rule out Jade's husband yet?" Trina rolled her head from side to side, humming as she considered it.

"Beck claims back trouble. If he has back problems, then it might be difficult for him to move as quickly as it seems our killer did. Plus, what motive does he have for killing both his best friend, and Tori? Why would he shoot his own wife? What incentive is there? What does he have to gain?"

Trina looked down at Andre, humming to herself. In a case where a couple were both targets, it was always more than likely a jilted ex or jealous stalker. "We should look into their relationship. It's more than likely that Andre or Tori had an ex that wasn't ready for their relationship to be over."

"Andre has had a number of girlfriends, I presume. We would have to talk to each one." David took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. "As for Tori, I'm not certain. I only know of three men in her past that caused a problem for her: Ryder, Steven and Danny."

"They were a long time ago. Grudges can be held forever, but would they be angry enough to murder all these years later?"

"Possibly. We'll want to question each one." Even now, they made more sense to her than Beck or even a mutual employer. She just couldn't fathom what motive Beck would have here. They still needed to talk to him, but on the tier of suspects, he was not a prime suspect.

Yet, at this point, they had no prime suspects. "Detective," someone said. David and Trina turned to see a man walking towards them. He was a man from the crime lab, as far as Trina could tell. "Looking into the victim's computer, we found something…you need to look at."

Curious and eager to see what was discovered, they wasted little time following the man back to headquarters. Trina was nervous because she didn't know which victim the man was talking about, and she was curious to see whether this discovery would make or break the case.

What they found was horrifying. David and Trina were paralyzed and numb with shock, but they could not turn away from the computer screen. It was Tori's laptop, and what they were watching was one of many video files that had been uploaded to various websites.

"These were all locked, hidden in a zipped and compressed folder. It took us a bit of time getting into it…"

They didn't hear the man. All they heard was Tori's voice, and all they saw was her sister sitting on a bed responding to her boyfriend behind the camera. "I've never done this before," Tori said with a laugh, "I'm excited to try it out."

"If it's worth the money, I'll try anything once," Andre replied. The man didn't seem too certain, groaning with disgust as a partially nude man walked towards the bed.

Each video file had a word pad file associated with it. In that file was documentation outlining how much was offered and how much was made. Throughout the videos, both were getting more confident, to the point Andre eventually got involved and the couple made several videos of just the two of them.

Trina had to turn away, her stomach surging with bile. A heavy sweat overtook her, and her body trembled with anguish until she bolted for a trashcan. "Porn," she heard her father mutter in a shaky tone that was laced with anger and pain. "She's involved in…" He raised his hand to the bridge of his nose and started to shake. "Okay Jeremy. I need you guys to analyze each of these videos."

Jeremy was the guy from the crime lab that had shown them the discovery. He nodded and offered Trina a rag as she moved away from the bin. "Thanks." She grabbed the rag and wiped her mouth, gagging into it. "Dad's right. You need to figure out every person they were involved with."

Dozens of videos, and if the couple documented things well, they might have kept a record of people they associated with where they didn't make or upload videos.

"Lifestyle choices can lead to violent crime." Trina threw the rag away and stared at the computer while slowly shaking her head. She leaned into her father, not knowing how to react to any of this. "And we just found our list of suspects…"

* * *

So with our victims we have discovered something that will take some time to swallow, a lifestyle borne of curiosity and experimentation but a dangerous one that wields a bit of suspects.


	7. Survivor's Guilt

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 7 (Survivor's Guilt)

Trina walked into her father's house, where she'd been staying since her arrival, and slumped on the couch. Her dad shambled across the way, moving past an archway and into the kitchen. "I can't believe it." Trina hunched forward, sweeping her hand across her face.

They'd been silent the entire way back, and even now there was very little to say. Trina wanted to say Tori was forced into making those videos, but she appeared to enjoy it. The techs at the lab said there was a typed document on the computer where the victim acknowledged a desire to try it because she wanted to add some excitement to her life.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, and one she didn't want to accept. As a sister, she was appalled, horrified, and shocked. She wanted to see Tori, to ask if she was okay and try and help her with anything she needed; but she couldn't.

Her tears stung like poison, and every breath she took was shallow and difficult.

As an investigator she knew this was just a trait in a victim's life, and a trait that was likely to create a number of suspects. Some were unlikely to be identified, she knew, and that was going to be hell. Trina prayed at the same time that the number of people Tori may have slept with would be small, and that her sister would still have stayed decent.

"What could have led her to this?" She ran her hand over her forehead and continued to groan. David returned with two large mugs of coffee in his hands. He extended one to her and she accepted it graciously. "Black?"

"Still drink it black?"

"Yeah." She raised her eyebrows and took a sip, delighting in the soothing taste. "Ah, extra strong. Just what the doctor ordered." She took another sip of the hot drink and her forehead crinkled. "Oh god." She pulled the mug away and exhaled. "Dad, what happened? Why would Tori-"

"I don't know. If I knew-if Holly knew…" David sank into the recliner and stared at the wall across from him. "Oh god we would have talked to her. Should have said something, should have done something. People go into that industry because they're damaged, right?"

"Sometimes." Trina blinked twice and shook her head. "God if that were the case, I'd be more of a candidate for going into porn than Tori." Hell, she even had more 'daddy issues' than Tori did. "Nothing makes any sense!"

"They often never do." David closed his eyes and dropped his mug to his knee. "It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a victim of homicide that was involved in something that didn't fit their personality at all. It happens everywhere: Gambling, drugs, pornography…this is just the first time it's…" He coughed and took another drink. "First time it's my own daughter."

"Yeah…"

"I'm left with more questions than answers. As a father and as an investigator." David and Trina looked at their coffee mugs, both thinking similar thoughts. "Should have grabbed the beer."

"After that discovery? Hell, I would have gone for whiskey."

"I have some." He cleared his throat and Trina raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "I make a really good Irish Coffee."

"Dad, we're Spanish."

"So?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Screw it, let's make some of that." David clapped once and rose from his chair.

A few hours later she was at the hospital, standing at Tori's bedside. Her eyes were red and her hands trembled as she ran her fingers along her sister's arm. "I don't care," Trina whispered, "What you've done. It hurts me to see you involved in something like this, to be hurting yourself in a way you don't realize. Maybe I shouldn't have left, would things have been any different?"

She moved her hand into Tori's and looked at the life support monitor. Her heart sank and fresh tears ran along her face. "My life is elsewhere, outside of LA, but…" She took a deep breath, shaking her head gently from side to side. "You don't want to hear that, I know, but it's the truth. When you've placed roots, it's hard to move them."

Afraid as she was, since Martin had yet to contact her and it had been several days now, she couldn't imagine moving back to LA when she'd already established her life.

"My husband…" Trina pulled a chair next to Tori's bedside and sat down, chuckling at herself. "I don't know if you hear me. I think you do, I hope you do, because I want you to know I'm here now. I'm here for you." She heard once that people in a coma were aware of things going on around them, but paralyzed everywhere but their mind. She believed this. "I can't imagine what you're dealing with right now, Tori, and I am _so sorry_ that I couldn't be there."

 _"Just like that?"_ Trina leaned back as a memory played in her mind, drawing more tears from her eyes. Her last conversation with Tori had been by phone, but she hadn't needed to see her sister to know how angry she was. _"You're done, Trina? Just like that? Walk out on your family? Cut us off? Leave us behind while you go off and do god knows what?"_

 _"What do you want from me, Tori? I'm done being abused. By you, by your stuck up friends. I'm done being ignored by mom and dad, and treated like a lesser person."_

 _"Oh whatever. You're imagining things, like you always do. Taking it out of proportion. Grandma and Grandpa died, and you act like you're the victim?" David and Trina never told her the extent of what happened, she was much too young to understand. Trina scoffed, growing angrier at her sister's accusation. "Why do you think I tell my friends you're crazy? Because you're obsessed with being the center of attention! Those guys murdered our grandparents, Trina, quit acting like they killed you."_

 _Her hand trembled on the receiver and her voice grew tense as her heart began to race. "You don't know the extent of it, Tori. You don't know what happened. Mom and Dad never told you what actually went down, so you'd better shut the hell up before you go down a road you really don't want to go."_

 _"You know what? I don't care! You're leaving, you said it yourself. You're_ never _coming back. I might as well speak my mind, Trina. You're a self-obsessed piece of work, exploiting grandma and grandpa's death and playing victim when nothing happened to you."_

 _Her voice trembled and she fought to remain as calm as she could, though it was difficult. "You know I was hospitalized. You know they hurt me too."_

 _"But you're alive, Trina. Don't you get it? You're alive."_

 _"So what? I should have died? Would that have made you feel better?"_

 _"You may as well have died, you're exiting out of our lives and never coming back, so should I start dressing in black and grieve every day?" Unable to stand it anymore, Trina slammed the receiver down. Her entire body shook so terribly she thought an earthquake were hitting. Trina hunched over and covered her eyes, wailing into her hands._

 _It was at that point she decided to switch her name around and to make it difficult for anyone to find her._

"Was it my fault?" Trina sniffed and squeezed Tori's hand. "Was I the reason you decided to go into this lifestyle of yours? Were you acting out, crying for attention, crying for help?"

Trina wiped her tears with a brush of her hand and slowly shook her head, contemplating if it would have been better if Tori had understood what happened to her. "I don't know how much of what happened to me you know, but I can tell you what you've gone through…I know how that feels. I nearly died, multiple times that night."

She closed her eyes, trembling fearfully. "I…They choked me, they beat me savagely. They…they threw me into grandpa's television. Broke my arm, broke my leg, crushed my ribs. God, I don't even know _why_ I survived." She took a deep breath and rocked forward. "For years I wondered it. I wanted to know what I was doing alive. I distracted myself by acting out, being obnoxious and stupid. I had to, I had to do something- _anything_ -to keep from thinking about it."

It haunted her even to this day, seeing her grandfather collapse and her grandmother's head slowly fall to her chest. "They were shot before my very eyes, Tori. I watched our grandparents die. I-I was covered in their blood." Trina's voice rose and shook, saliva dripping from her mouth as a burning pain throbbed in her chest and coursed through her left arm and right leg. The sensation was all in her mind, of course, but what did it matter. "Then they beat me. They tied up dad and forced him to watch as they beat the shit out of his daughter."

Her hand cupped her mouth, stifling a sob. "Every time I would come close to passing out, they would let go of my neck to let me breathe…only to strangle me again. They made damn sure not to kill me, they wanted to break my dad by…"

Just then the heart monitor started beeping rapidly, sending a rush of panic through her body. She stood up, calling for the nurses. She took a step back, watching with wide eyes as several nurses surrounded Tori and worked to reduce the heart rate.

"No," Trina whispered, "Don't let her go. Please." She wiped her eyes and clutched her chest. "I love you Tori. I'll always love you. You're my baby sister, I'll always be here for you, no matter where I am. Please stay with me…"

It wasn't long before the heart rate was back to normal. As the nurses filed out, Trina slowly approached her sister, weeping softly as she placed her hand into Tori's. "I'm sorry, Tori…I'm sorry."

Maybe this was the reason she survived. To find justice. She thought about it when she was in the retirement community-that there was a reason for everything in this crazy, mixed up world. She witnessed her grandparents dying and survived that terrible night, then wound up in a retirement community where she caught two home invaders breaking into the homes of the elderly and terrorizing them.

Now she was here, finding justice for her sister, who suffered a similar trauma.

Her phone started to ring, startling her. She pulled it from her purse and saw Martin calling. Her heartbeat skyrocketed and her nerves swelled and grew tight in her chest as she answered the phone. "Martin! Martin, I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"I know," he replied. There was something off about his tone of voice, however, she detected it in an instant. "Where are you? LA?" There was a mild slur. In the background, music was playing and she could hear incessant chatter. Surprised and stunned, as Martin very seldom drank, she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Martin? Are you in a bar?"

"What does it matter?"

"Martin, I love you. You don't need to do that. I need you, just talk to me."

"Why couldn't you be honest with me? Why couldn't you trust me?" She heard a sniffle that caused her heart to drop.

"You don't understand. It's not that I didn't trust you, it's not that I couldn't be honest with you." She rubbed her arm and bowed her head, walking a few steps forward. "I just…there are some things I need to tell you, but I need you with me."

"Are you coming home?"

"Yes, but there's something I have to do first, Martin."

"You should be home with me, but you don't trust me." This wasn't like him at all, she knew better. He was drunk. She knew how much he hated drinking, how he hated the feeling of being drunk, so this could not become routine. "I loved you, Ellie. Or Trina. I still do…"

"Martin please. Go home and sober up, get out of that bar. I don't even know what you're doing there." She could call Gary, but he'd be twenty minutes away from where they were. Deputy Perez was closer, but she wasn't sure she wanted to involve him in this. "Call me when you're sober. We'll talk then."

"You don't even want to talk to me?" He sniffled again and started to groan. "I thought I was a good husband."

"You are!" She couldn't stand listening to him while he was drunk. He needed someone to get him away from that bar as quickly as possible. "Martin, sweetie, I love you. I have always loved you. I _do_ have a hard time trusting people, but I trust you. I know I should have been more open with you a long time ago, but I'm ready…I need you…"

"It hurts." He groaned loudly. "My head feels like it's going to explode."

"It probably is. Put the bartender on, please." He complied, thankfully, probably in too much pain to complain. The bartender had a soft feminine voice, which Trina didn't like too much, but she wasn't threatened. "Ma'am, this is Martin's wife. Do not give him anymore alcohol, please. Cut him off. Which bar are you located at?"

"Alright miss, I'll try. Pour Pub."

"Now hang up the phone. Let him think you hung up on me." She didn't want him feeling any more abandoned than he already did. Thankfully the bartender complied, leaving her able to contact Gary. When the man picked up, she heard a familiar voice in the background. "Gary? Where are you?"

"I'm visiting with Deputy Perez, we were just discussing work. I'm filling in for you while you're away." Trina winced and moved her hand to her forehead.

"Great, just great." It seemed Deputy Perez would be involved either way. "Look, Martin just called me. He's drunk, and getting drunker. He's in a lot of pain right now." Gary groaned softly and cursed under his breath. "What's going on with him? He hasn't contacted me anytime beforehand."

"He's been in a bad way Trina, but don't worry, we'll shape him up."

"He's at the Pour Pub on Oak St."

"Alright, we'll go ahead and grab him…"

"Thanks." She hung up her phone and sank into the chair next to Tori. Dumbfounded and bewildered, she stared absently at the wall in front of her. With her mother dead, her sister in a coma, and now her husband was depressed, she didn't know what to do. "This is hell."

* * *

What are your thoughts and observations here?


	8. Questioning the Industry

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: This chapter is a fairly serious chapter, delving into adult material. It's only this chapter, so here you are. You can skip it if you want, but there is a very important and very crucial element to the case mentioned here.

* * *

Chapter 8 (Questioning the Industry)

"You realize we're still under a lot of supervision," David remarked while walking the halls with Trina. She nodded, understanding that while David was the boss, he still had higher-ups monitoring the case as well because of the closeness they had to it. "It's a good thing, because defense lawyers would love to attack us for how close we are."

"That's why we're being professional about it." They had to be. They were being as careful as possible not to let their emotions get the better of it. This had to show, above all else, when they started questioning people. That would be happening fairly soon, because the techs found a file on Tori's computer with a list of names of people that came up as having worked with her and Andre.

Of this list of twenty-three people, about five were listed as being regular workers. Jeffery Scott, Abraham Wilkens, Maxine Davis, Lauren Bella, and Nelson Waters. These five were the persons of interest on the list. The other eighteen were being interviewed by individual officers, but Trina and David wanted to interview these.

First on the list was Lauren. Because it was uncertain whether or not Lauren would react positively to a male officer, Trina went into the room alone while David and a few superiors watched through the window. "So, Miss Bella." Trina walked around the table, tapping the folder on the table.

Lauren had pale, stringy red hair that wrapped around her neck like a scarf and tucked into her loose green shirt collar. Her pants were sloppy and her face was covered in an array of bumps and scars. "Call me Lauren." The girl's voice was nasally and her eyes were glazed over.

It pained Trina to see this, and horrified her to think that Tori could be like this one day. Not all porn stars turned out this way though, but many of them were often on drugs or victim of various abuses. "It says here you're thirty-two? Is that correct?"

"Yes." Lauren moved her frail wrist forward on the table, showing off her long acrylic fingernails. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

"No, we're only wanting to ask you a few questions." She opened the folder and pushed the photos of Tori and Andre forward. Lauren studied them and her eyes lit up.

"Oh hey! I know them, I used to work with them. Great people really." Trina smacked her lips and raised her eyebrows.

"Can you tell me a little about them? How much did you associate with them?" Lauren scooted her chair up and leaned forward, taking the photo of Tori in her hands.

"We were good friends. They never did anything too graphic though. All very respectable." Trina squinted and raised an eyebrow up, concerned and confused about what was considered 'too graphic'. The porn industry didn't appear to have any boundaries for what was going too far.

"Between gross facials to rape fantasies, I'm not sure what you mean by too graphic."

"Right there." Lauren pushed her hand along the side of her head, dipping her fingertips under her hair. "She never did that kind of stuff. She never did anal or multiple people at one time. I don't think Andre would have let it happen. He treated everyone right, but there was a line I think he didn't want to cross. He didn't even let men have sex with her without using a condom."

"Who was in control? Do you remember? Whose idea was it?"

"Tori." Lauren nodded. Her answer took Trina by surprise, though she suspected she shouldn't have been too stunned. "She wanted the experience, she wanted to know what it was like. I think Andre only went along because she let him draw the boundaries…"

Nelson was next. Trina was stressed doing these interviews back to back, so fortunately she was able to switch out with her father. This time she watched while David interviewed, letting Lauren's interview sink in.

Nelson was a frail looking guy with a ball cap facing sideways. He had pale, pasty skin and looked far too weak to be their guy. "Tori was in control more," Nelson said to David, "But Andre had a lot of control too. Some of the guys really liked her, but they were jealous because Andre wouldn't let them go all the way with her." Trina narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

David leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips on the desk. "All the way?" Nelson folded his arms and nodded.

"Yeah man. Like, several people were told if they felt like they were coming close to finishing that they were to stop immediately and get away from her." David chuckled once and Trina started to smirk. Nelson raised his thin eyebrows and waved his hands in the air. "The dude could not stand it too much. I don't really get it, because they had a more open relationship."

"Open?"

"Yeah, both of them were screwing around. At least that was the impression I got from it." Nelson shrugged. "The chick was in the porn industry and he was a cameraman, do you honestly think they're going to have a normal and healthy relationship?"

She could see her dad was trying his best to remain calm, as he was being perfectly still and talking low while staring Nelson in the eyes. He had the utmost professionalism about him, so nobody could say he was too emotionally charged or worked up.

Whatever was going to happen when they did have a prime suspect, nobody could be sure. It would be too easy for a defense attorney to claim coercion, so they were going to have to be extremely careful. They needed a solid case as well so it wouldn't be just a confession that they had.

Jeffery was next on the list. He seemed healthier than the last two and was more built. There was a calmness in his demeanor, which was a bit surprising for someone being questioned about his relation to murder victims. "I worked with them for a little while," he admitted, "But then I stopped because the guy was getting too jealous and possessive." Jeffery crossed his arms and scoffed. "I mean what did he suspect? His chick had a taste for the industry, how long was he going to keep her from enjoying the finer bits of the industry?"

"Enlighten me on the finer bits." David had his hands closed together and raised in front of his face. An ink pen bounced between two of his fingers, and his narrow eyes peered over his knuckles. "You think he was keeping her from what, exactly?"

"Oh god everything." Jeffery laughed and waved his hand in the air. "I mean I get some people think releasing onto a woman is disrespectful and degrading." David closed his eyes and let out a grunt while Trina tried her best to stomach this without throwing up. "But he never would let that happen."

"Did she ever indicate she wanted to be treated to this…kind of behavior?"

"Um." Jeffery frowned and rolled his eyes. "No, but she was into porn man. It's a given that they understand this sort of thing is going to happen. Evidently they didn't get that memo." Jeffery sighed and shook his head from side to side. "Oh well man. I still don't understand why it mattered, they had an open fucking relationship. She was screwing other people, he had someone on the side, and both of them were dating the same damn person as far as I knew."

Trina turned her head, taking note to the mention of an open relationship yet again. It was interesting to hear this being brought up, and now to hear the two were potentially dating the same person, she couldn't help but to be drawn in.

Abraham made the same comment, but like the others, he couldn't elaborate. He did mention that he thought there was someone that the two were dating on the side, but not one hundred percent sure and couldn't say for sure who this person was. So for now, this person was purely speculation.

However, upon comparing notes with other investigators interviewing the others on the list, they found a growing number of people suggesting that Andre and Tori had an open relationship with at least one person they were dating simultaneously.

When it came time to interview Maxine, Trina wanted to focus on this mysterious relationship in hopes that they could zero in on a possible suspect. Maxine was fairly attractive, had long dark hair and hazel green eyes. Her skin was tanned and she looked relatively calm despite being told that two people she worked with had been victims of crime.

"Don't get me wrong, I am upset over this." Maxine looked down at the pictures in front of her with sorrow and grief. "I've seen it happen to a lot of girls-and guys-in the industry, but none as nice as Tori. She was a gem, but she was too nice for the industry and wasn't going to last much longer in it…"

"What do you mean?" Trina folded her forearms on the table and leaned forward. Her eyes slanted and her fingers curled inwards. "When you say 'too nice' and then follow up with 'not lasting much longer', it makes me curious."

"Oh." Maxine raised her eyes and smiled. "She was friendly and charming, liked to socialize and go parties with other rising stars. She was fantastic company, but she wouldn't do the things that some girls will. Whether it was anal, abuse fantasies, you name it-she wouldn't do it. She was like a rose, didn't want to be tainted by the wrong things." Maxine twisted her lips and closed her eyes. "Certain things disgusted her."

Trina was relieved, but at the same time, nervous. Maxine inhaled and ran her fingers down the edge of the picture. "So when I say she was too nice, I mean she was too innocent and pure for the industry. That upset a lot of people, but I don't know of anyone that would have wanted to hurt her over it."

"I see." Perhaps the clients or fellow workers weren't big suspects, but they weren't done being looked at. Trina tapped her note pad with her pen and pushed her tongue into her cheek. "Now, something we've heard multiple times was that she and Andre had an open relationship, and were having an affair with the same person."

"Oh yeah." Maxine nodded and started to chuckle. "They didn't talk much about her." Trina's eyes shot upwards and her eyebrows came together. "I think Tori just wanted to get the girl to experiment with a lesbian relationship, and even got her dating Andre too because he would take her out to a lot of finer places. I think she was more into the guy on girl thing, this lady, but I don't know. I know they were trying also to get her to experiment with having sex while being filmed."

She was stunned to hear the mystery person was a woman and not a guy, but at the same time, she was learning a lot more than she ever expected or even wanted to hear. "So this woman. Do you know anything about her?" She breathed out slow and raised an eyebrow. "She got a name? Appearance?" Maxine scrunched her face and tensed her brow.

"Let me think." The woman turned her eyes to the photograph and started tapping her right hand on the table multiple times. "Um." The girl shook her head and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I really don't know. They kept it a secret to everyone, really. I seem to remember Tori saying she didn't want to spoil her by talking about her to some of the guys in the industry. I think she wanted to keep her pure or something, can't really say for sure."

Maxine raised her head, giving Trina an apologetic look. Trina sank in her seat a bit, tensing her grip on her pen. "I'm really sorry I can't be of more help." She didn't feel like she made much progress at all, but didn't want to let her frustrations show.

"It's okay, thank you for your time." She stood up and extended her hand. Maxine smiled politely and shook her hand as well. "If you think of anything, please let us know."

"I will, detective."

Trina hummed and tilted her head to the right. "You seem like such a nice woman, you know?" Maxine's smile grew a bit and she shrugged. "What's someone like you doing in an industry like that?"

Maxine frowned for a minute, taking a deep and slow breath. "I know it seems like we're all broken. Most of us are. A lot of the ones that let themselves be degraded and trashy, disrespected and abused, those girls tend to be the ones that are broken inside. They tend to be the ones who lose a good deal of self-respect."

Trina crossed her arms, humming to herself. "I see. So you're saying not everyone is like that?"

"Not everyone. Some don't know any other way to make money, some get into it like Tori did just because they wanted to experiment and see what it was like. Those girls are the ones that get addicted and start to get so deep they can't pull themselves out."

"Off the record…I wondered if I pushed her over the edge. I blamed myself, I still do."

"Don't." Maxine touched her wrist and looked into her eyes with a tender, gentle smile. "It's not your fault. You know, I asked her once…" Trina's heart quivered and her eyes started to glisten as the girl pulled her hand away. "I asked her why she was getting into the industry, and she told me she just wanted to try it out for herself. She didn't get in because of anyone, she didn't do it out of spite or anger towards anybody, she was just simply…curious…"

She felt a sudden jolt through her body and a relief of weight falling from her shoulders. "Thanks." She smiled gently, wiping her eyelids with a finger. "I wasn't sure what I'd do if I caused this somehow."

"You're fine, I think. Just find out who hurt her, give her some justice. I'll help out any way that I can." Maxine chuckled once and slowly shook her head. "The industry is often the cause of violence and death to a lot of girls, and guys, but I think in this case it might just be a small factor. I'm not sure really, but I don't know if the industry is truly to blame this time."

"It seems like a dangerous life."

"It is, really. A lot of people want to get out, I know Tori was getting tired of it herself but like so many, she didn't really know how to quit."

"What about you? Do you want to quit?"

"I do, I've actually been seeing a therapist. I gave Tori my recommendation to that therapist, but I'm not sure if she ever went to see her." Maxine squinted and hummed. "Dr. Rice. Dr. Regina Rice." Trina nodded once more.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to look her up."

"Be careful though. Dr. Rice is _very_ strict about confidentiality. Unless you have a warrant, I don't think she's going to be willing to talk if Tori has gone to see her."

"I understand. I'll bear that in mind." As she escorted Maxine out and met with her father, she began feeling disheartened. David had his hands on his hips and was bowing his head and shoulders. "Twenty-three people and I don't think we're any closer."

He raised his head and lifted a hand up. "We have a mystery woman that absolutely no one seems to know a thing about, she might as well be imaginary." He was getting frustrated, clearly angry and hurt having to listen to all these people talk about his daughter. Trina was upset as well, but knew patience and calmness was the best and only way they were going to find justice for her sister.

"That person could be the missing link. Dad, if that person exists, she will be found." Trina smiled reassuringly and took a deep breath. "Hell, she might even make herself known to us anyway. If she was dating them both, it's only a matter of time before she comes in."

"Only a matter of time. Yeah…and the longer we take, the further away a cold-blooded killer gets." David brushed his forehead with his hand and started to groan. "I am not letting this one get away, I swear to god I am not letting this one get away."

* * *

Thoughts and opinions? We've learned a good deal here


	9. Back at Square One

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 9 (Square One)

"So you're stumped." The icy blonde's voice was surprisingly calm and warm, as Commander Chapman had been since Trina started working as a Liaison. During her time with the SST, the commander reminded her so much of Jade, but later Trina learned that the personality conflict was just due to slight envy as the woman mentioned having wanted to be a deputy herself when she was younger and not making the cut because of different standards towards age and physical requirements.

"I guess I'm at square one again." Trina scratched her head and started to groan as she held the phone to her ear. "We haven't found any viable suspects, and we have one mystery person that may or may not exist."

"Are you having difficulty focusing with how close you are to your victims?"

"No, it's not that, it's just…I don't know what the next step is. I can't figure it out, there's a whole life that my victim is into and even then I can't find any connections." It was one roadblock after another, and it didn't help that most of the people in the industry they talked to had solid alibis for the night of the murder.

She ran her wrist over her forehead and groaned softly. After a minute, the woman spoke up again. "Sometimes when I hit a hard spot in something, I like to take a step back and look at the big picture, find out if I missed anything. Have you started over? Have you looked at your crime scene again, or all the victims? Is there a chance you've missed or forgotten something?"

Trina leaned back slowly, considering the commander's words for several minutes. She looked down at the folder on the table, and the pictures of the crime scene that were spread out. Her eyes scanned Tori's body, Andre's body, and Holly's before traveling to a photograph of Jade.

Jade had been fully conscious during the assault, and while she apparently suffered amnesia, some of her memory could have returned. As this realization slowly dawned on her, she threw her head back with a triumphant laugh.

"Thank you Commander. You're a great help, you know." The woman chuckled and Trina was certain she was smirking on the other end of the line.

"Well, it's kind of what I do. After all, we are the Sheriff Support Team…"

When she arrived to the glass company, she was surprised to see Beck with a pair of workman gloves carrying large panels of glass to a large truck. "Hey Beck." She pulled her hair from her face and smiled as the man turned his head to look at her. "How's everything holding up lately?"

"Decently." He pushed a long box into the truck with a grunt and sat on the bumper of the vehicle. His hands gripped his knees firmly and a white towel hung loosely around his neck and shoulders. Sweat was flicking off the man's face and body, and he was breathing heavily. "I just got an order I have to ship out."

She turned her head, feeling a bit suspicious of the statement. "You're not staying to take care of your wife?" Beck grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"She's coming with me. Work never stops, I have to keep the money flowing. Especially now, you understand." She crossed her arms, grasping her elbows gently and nodding her head. It wasn't hard to understand. In Jade's state, Beck had to pay the bills and support her. "I know I need to keep her here while you guys work on your investigation, but I worry about her. She's still in such a fragile state right now, I can't leave her behind."

"She's lucky to have a husband like you."

Beck grinned and squinted as the sun pierced his eyes. "Yeah. I don't know what I'd do without her." He looked over his shoulder and pointed. "She's in the passenger seat right now, we're about to shove off."

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"Probably not more than a day or two. I'll have her back in town for you guys as soon as I can." Beck rose up and motioned to the other boxes with panels. "I've got more to load up, you can go ahead and talk to Jade if you'd like."

"Sure. I'll do that." He walked off with a deep sigh. Trina hummed gently and moved around the side of the car, approaching the open passenger side door. Jade was sitting in place, her hands sliding up and down her legs and her eyes moving from side to side. "Jade?"

The girl jumped and looked at Trina looking like a deer in headlights. She started to relax after a few seconds. Trina grasped the metal bar on the side of the car and put one foot on the side step of the car, standing in place.

"It's okay Jade. I just wanted to see how you were doing." Jade frowned, her eyes dipping for a moment. "I know what happened to you must be hard, and I know remembering is difficult, but if you know _anything_ , I need to know. I need to know so we can find whoever did this to the others."

Jade's eyebrows curled and her lip furled. "I don't remember," the girl whispered, "I don't remember." Trina bowed her head and sighed. She was afraid of this, but it wasn't unexpected. "His face." She lifted an eyebrow and raised her head up. Jade began breathing heavily, rocking back and forth in her seat and hugging her arms. "His voice. He spoke."

"He spoke? To you? To Tori?"

"'I want you to suffer'." For a girl with amnesia, Jade was pulling at some incredible details. It wasn't uncommon for someone with amnesia to have spurts of memory though, it was usually a good sign their memory was coming back. If this was the case, she needed Jade to remember.

"Is there anything else you can pull out for me, Jade? Anything at all?"

Jade stopped and looked at her, her eyes growing large. "I saw his face." Jade's voice was hushed as she leaned towards Trina. "Through the glass, before he put on the mask." Her heart stopped and she almost shouted for joy. Perhaps a short road trip with her husband would help her to relax and finally start remembering the details of the crime.

"Jade, thank you. I want you to rest, okay? I want you to try and remember, but don't force yourself." Jade's brow wrinkled and tears welled up in the woman's eyes. "Do you remember a description of this man's face?"

"I don't remember. Too hard to remember." Trina moved her foot back to the ground and let go of the metal bar. Her eyes focused onto Jade's gaze, which was focused elsewhere. "Don't make me remember."

"It's okay Jade, just take a deep breath and relax. Let it come naturally, don't hurt yourself." For the first time in her life she felt a great deal of pity and sorrow for this woman. Never had she seen Jade so wounded, so weak and powerless, and now it was hard to look at. She was a shell of her former self.

"It's about time to go," Beck said. Trina tensed up and spun around to see Beck slowly peeling away his gloves. "I hope Jade's been somewhat helpful." Trina smiled gently and nodded.

"A little bit."

"Good. Maybe I can help somehow?" He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. "You remember Danny from years ago?" She raised her eyebrows and leaned back against the truck.

"A little. He was the guy that cheated on Tori when she was young, then started dating Cat later." Trina looked at Jade, curious if the girl might react to the mention of Danny. Instead, Jade was staring endlessly into the air in front of her.

"Right." Beck took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Tori started dating him again a while back." Trina hummed gently and looked at Beck. "But like usual, he started checking out other girls. Andre got into a huge ass fight with him, beat the shit out of the guy. I don't think he ever recovered from that."

"Anything happen with Tori?"

"Oh she went back to him." Beck rolled his eyes and scoffed. "He wasn't happy that she accused him of cheating. They had a number of fights." Beck rubbed his hands together and sighed softly. "I heard he got physical a couple times."

This was going to be something she needed to look at, especially since an aggressive ex was always a potential suspect. "Thank you, Beck." She looked at his hand and pointed. "Can't help but notice you've got a bandage there, what happened?" Beck looked at his hand and sighed.

"Cut myself last night." He tightened his hand into a ball and clicked his tongue. "Carrying a pane of glass and dropped it, damn thing nearly sliced through my hand."

"Damn. Sorry to hear about that." She pushed her hands into her pockets and looked at Jade with a slight frown. "Anyway, I'll be sure to check out what you've said regarding Danny. Have a safe trip…are you sure you want to take Jade along? She might not travel well in her state of mind."

"I worry too much leaving her alone, and I don't trust anyone else to look after her in her state of mind."

"I can understand that, I'd worry too."

Beck motioned to the ring on her finger and smiled. "Married? So you've finally settled down?" She gazed down at it and smiled bright.

"Yeah. Martin Skopic, great man." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Looking at the factory, she could see a large panel of glass against the wall, it was cracked and shattered like it had been dropped. The side was covered in blood. She winced and turned her eyes away. "We got married not that long ago."

"Well congratulations." He closed the passenger side door and started moving around the front of the truck. "Anyway, I'm a little behind schedule. It was good talking to you again, Trina. You have a good day."

"Same to you, Beck. Safe travels." She narrowed her eyes and ran her finger along her chin. "Danny, huh…Looks like I'll have to check you out." It wasn't much of a lead, but it was better than what she had right now.

She watched as Beck started up the truck and began to drive. As he pulled out, she could see Jade watching her from the window. "Don't worry Jade." Trina smiled gently and exhaled slow. "I'm going to solve this one way or another."

Trina would have to thank Commander Chapman for the much needed advice. In her stress, she'd almost forgotten to check up on Jade and Beck. While she hadn't forgotten them, she'd put more focus on Andre and Tori since they had been the primary targets of this crime.

It was important to remember all the details, even the victim that seemed the least involved may be important.

With that, Trina remembered Holly. Holly was a victim truly in the wrong place at the wrong time, not associated with the killer at all from what it appeared.

Even so, it was an important reminder that she needed to look into Holly as well. It was best to leave no stone unturned.

* * *

Hmm so what are your thoughts here? It's claimed Jade suffers total amnesia, but is that to be believed? Beck may not be a suspect at this point, and Jade is a recovering victim, but is it wise to let them travel? Trina may very well find herself regretting that decision if she is not careful. 


	10. Examining the Victims' Lives

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: I am enjoying all the theories you're giving and the clues you're picking up on. Don't forget to go over every detail. Such as that broken pane of glass with blood on it at the glass factory, was Beck's tale believed? How much is to be believed about him? He says he has back trouble from an accident, but he was loading boxes of window panes into the back of a company truck by himself. Also, Jade supposedly has total amnesia, or very deep amnesia, but she remembered bits and details about that crime-memories like that may not often be the first to return. Keep watch on Jade whenever you see her. Now, that said, let's see this chapter.

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Chapter 10 (Examining Victims' Lives)

Knocking on doors didn't help much, since most of the neighbors didn't see much or were asleep at the time. One person did see someone running down the street late that night. They said the person looked to be nearly six feet with an athletic but slender build. It wasn't much, but it did cross off a few names from the porn industry suspect list.

Trina had to go back and look also at the lives of both Holly and Jade, giving them full detail. Unfortunately there wasn't much to deal with either of them. "She simply did not talk much," said coworker Traci Barnes. The woman was short and young, likely a college student. "Jade kept to herself most days behind the counter, reading romance novels and eating M&Ms."

"Romance novels and M&Ms?" Trina perched her elbow on the table and raised her palm up to rest her head. "Did she do any writing? Possibly leave a diary or anything like that?" Tracy made a popping noise with her tongue, like she was chewing gum, then shook her head.

"Not to my knowledge." Of course Tori seemed to be the one to write things down, keeping records of everything. "Wouldn't know of anyone that would hurt her, she didn't seem all that interested in anything. Just bored, if nothing else." The girl nodded. "Bored and lonely."

"Lonely?" She lifted her head and dropped her hand. "Why lonely?" Traci shrugged.

"Her husband was always at work and so was she, the two rarely saw each other. I think she was looking for some thrill and excitement."

Trina tapped her fingernails on the table, squinting as she looked to the ceiling in thought. If Jade was truly that bored, then could it have been possible she was seeking attention and affection elsewhere, since her husband wasn't providing? It was a long shot in Trina's mind personally knowing Jade, but as an investigator it was a possibility that had to be looked at.

"Do you think she was bored enough to cheat on her husband?" Traci raised her eyebrows and then started scratching her chin. "Did she ever indicate to you, or anyone else, that she was unsatisfied and unhappy in her marriage?" It would be a surprise, given how much Jade had always accused Beck of cheating on her, but she needed to look at it. "How much do you know about her husband?"

"He seemed like a decent man, hard-working and always trying to bring food to the table." Traci grabbed the paper cup filled with water and raised it to drink. "As for affairs, I don't know anything off the top of my head. I do remember a conversation she had with Sam about her husband never cheating on her, that she could prove or be aware of."

"Okay. Thank you for your time, Miss Barnes."

The next person to interview was a male coworker of Jade's that had heard something about an affair happening. Trina needed to know what occurred and if maybe Jade could have done something to somebody that wanted to make her pay by seeing her friends killed.

Jack Davidson was a man in his thirties of about five and a half feet. "So you had an actual conversation with her about an affair, is that correct?" Jack leaned back in his chair and nodded.

"She actually started to flirt with me actually." She did a double take, raising her eyes up curiously as Jack put his hand to his chest. "I turned her down and asked her what she was doing since she was married." Seeing something new like this popping up was so serious it had to be noted, even though she didn't think it pertained much to the case.

"What did she say to that, Mr. Davidson?"

"She told me simply her husband was never there for her and she needed a change in her life, something to excite her again." Jack leaned forward, closing his hands before his face. "I don't know if she ever found that, but I suggested she talk to her husband about how she felt. She seemed upset, but I wasn't going to mess around with a man's wife. Much as she tried to say he wouldn't care."

"She didn't think he'd care?"

"That's what she would say, but I've seen the man. He comes across possessive and has very dark eyes. I'm not sure he's one to mess with."

"Thank you for that information."

The next move was to check out Jade's workstation. She couldn't check out Jade's house because neither of them were there, but the workstation could be looked at.

The receptionist desk was covered in paperwork and post-it notes. There was a novel that was currently open, Trina took a moment in her investigate to read the page. Evidently it was about a woman torn between two men.

She rolled her eyes and moved on. "There's nothing of interest here," she muttered while sifting through the storm of documents. "Absolutely nothing." About to give up, though not wanting to, Trina took one more look around until she stumbled upon a crumpled sticky note in the trashcan.

Opening it up, she was surprised to see a website written down. "Bored wives dot…really Jade? Really?" Her heart began to race and she started to wonder if Jade was cheating on Beck. If she had a lover on the side, that lover needed to be found.

It could certainly explain why Jade was only shot once and left alone. If Jade had a lover and she wanted to end things and stay with her husband, then it was possible that a lover could go in and murder her friends to try and cause her pain or to say 'this is what I'm capable of if you try and leave me'.

As she lowered the note, she began to kick herself for letting Beck and his wife leave town, because now she needed to talk to Jade again-if the girl could even remember what was going on. If Jade had a boyfriend on the side that was dangerous, Beck could also be in danger.

She would have to wait, be patient. While waiting she could continue her investigation elsewhere. The first thing she did was sit down with her father to discuss Holly. This one she knew would be difficult because she had to ask questions as an investigator that she, as a daughter, would want to know anyway.

David folded his hands on the table and looked into her eyes with a subtle frown. "So what do you want to know?" His shoulders sank and his eyes traveled down. "I'm the ex-husband of one of the victims, I know you have to talk to me."

"Yeah." Her heart trembled and she ran her fingers over her forehead. Another officer was with her, just in case she needed help. "When did the two of you divorce? Why?" She pulled her fingers away and looked into his eyes. David breathed in and let it out slow.

"We divorced about eight or nine years ago. My job got in the way of a lot of things, my grief and guilt got in the way of a lot. Emotionally, I couldn't be there for Holly. We talked about it, she felt the same way and we agreed separation was best."

"So it was a mutual divorce, then? No animosity or bad feelings left behind?"

"None." He was honest as far as she could tell. He wasn't being looked as a suspect either, she just needed him to shed more light on the case if at all possible. "Could you or Holly have anyone that might…" She hesitated, closing her eyes and her fingers. "Any enemies that might want to cause u you harm?"

"I've put a lot of people in prison." David's hand tightened around his left and he began to shake. "Wouldn't be the first time someone's gone after my family to get to me. Holly and Tori haven't been a part of my life in a decade almost, so I would have to say you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that knows enough to go after them."

"Ned Tyler and Wallace Monroe?" Her voice cracked and she could feel the burning sting of tears filling her eyes. "Were they ever caught?" David shut his eyes and groaned softly. "Those two criminals went after your family in the past, they got away. Could they have come back?"

"Trina…" This wasn't a conversation to take place here. It was, but it wasn't easy since it affected the both of them. "They were found by Mexican authorities nine years ago in Acapulco Mexico." Her heart skid to a halt and her eyes opened wide. Caught off guard, she began to tremble and shake. "Ned was killed in a gunfight with Mexican authorities and Wallace was extradited here. He's in prison." David tensed and Trina moved her hand up towards her chest, holding back a sob. "Rotting." His eyes rose to her and his voice seemed to deepen. "For the rest…of his…life…"

"I-"

"He can't hurt anyone ever again." David leaned upright, cracking his neck to the left. "A prisoner attacked him in prison a few years back, blinded him and crushed all the bones in his hands with a brick."

Trina looked at the camera, then the recorder. With a heavy breath, she turned off the recorder and moved around the table, looking down at her father. "Why didn't you tell me?" Tears ran down her cheeks, and her knees started to shake. "Why didn't you tell me they'd been found?"

"I couldn't find you and Gary wasn't telling me anything. Then there's everything that's been going on recently…I haven't been able to." Her chest throbbed and she fell into him, grabbing his shirt and burying her face into his chest, muffling her cries.

David wrapped his arms around her, gently running his hand along her back. "It's okay," he whispered, "It's okay." A rush of emotions tore through her like a tornado, and a sickness arose that she couldn't shake. "You should have been told a long time ago. This isn't the place…"

"God." She wiped her eyes, sniffing multiple times as she tried to calm herself. He was right, she was embarrassed to lose her composure, but it couldn't be helped. "I…I don't think I have much else for this interview."

"Let's call it a day." She moved her hand to her chest, struggling to breathe. David stood up and reached for her back, but she raised her hand.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I…I'll be okay." She wanted to talk to her husband. Of all the people in her life, she needed him more than anything. Trina brushed her hair back from her face and took a deep breath.

She was stronger than this memory, better than the nightmare; and she knew it. The problem was facing it after the crime brought it to the surface all over again. "How…have we not made an arrest yet? What's taking so long?"

"We know the round of weapon used, we have suspects and a possible description of the suspect but we don't have enough to pinpoint."

Trina exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning as Ned and Wallace remained on her mind. "We don't have a motive either. We have theories, speculation but nothing concrete." She lowered her hands and pushed them into her back pockets. "Alibis what are our main suspects' alibis?"

"We don't have main suspects yet…"

"Shit." She sucked in the air around her and looked at her father. "Are you sure mom didn't fire anyone that might've wanted to get back to her? Are you sure there's nobody that wanted to get back at anyone?"

"We still have those two unknowns that need to be identified. A potential affair Jade may be having-if she is or was having one at all."

"I kind of doubt it, but we still have to look at that website she's got written down."

"It's a dating site similar to that of the old Ashley Madison site." Trina groaned in disgust and rolled her eyes. "But right now, if she's having an affair, that person is a ghost."

"Right. We need to find out the one we know exists…"

"The mysterious girl Tori and Andre were seeing." David crossed his arms. "The team is still trying to find any reference." He stopped and tilted his head. "We need to get into the Oliver house, Trina. Jade is a reader, it's possible she kept a diary or something that could reference things…Tori is her closest friend, so she might have been told."

"Maybe." Trina scratched her chin. "We need to search Andre's house too if we haven't already." Even Tori had an apartment that hadn't been gone over with a fine toothed comb. Someone had to have something that could give them viable leads.

"Until then. You need to rest." She raised an eyebrow and frowned. She still needed to get out of her system the whole thing with Ned and Wallace, of course that was what he was referencing. "What do you say you and I go to the shooting range? That should relieve some stress and tension."

"That would be great." The range was an old pastime for her. Certainly it could calm her nerves and help her relax. Trina slowly rubbed the curve of her neck and shoulder, letting out a soft sigh. "I'm worried about Martin, to top it all off. Something's just not sitting right with me."

"He'll call. If he's smart, he will call." David opened the door and held it for her, motioning her to walk through. "If he doesn't, I'll find a way to straighten him out. Or Gary will…You, just rest for a little bit. Take a break. Hell, I'll even pay for you to get a spa treatment if you want."

Her eyebrows shot up and she felt a tension grow in her back. It had been years since she went to a spa or had any sort of professional work done on her. "Tempting, I don't remember the last time I had a massage." She snapped her fingers and pointed while walking out the door. "Range first, then spa massage."

* * *

So much about this chapter. Jade's workstation, and they can't get into the Oliver home yet. Now we've learned the fate of Ned and Wallace, truly an emotional moment. Tell me what you've observed. The next chapter we see will focus on Martin.


	11. Seed of Doubt

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

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Chapter 11 (Seed of Doubt)

Hours away in a quiet spot not far from home, Martin Skopic practiced shooting a target at a makeshift range his wife made some time ago. There was a main road to his back, but the city was small enough that it wasn't frequently travelled.

Ever since Gary took him shooting, he enjoyed the practice. It was something he and his wife could do together. He wasn't one for guns normally though, but for now, it was a decent stress relief.

His entire body ached from pain, and his eyes were sore from being rubbed too much. Deep in his heart he knew he was overreacting and that his wife needed him, but he had to clear his head first. Preferably without the alcohol. Gary and Deputy Perez shook him up big time after his last bar visit.

"Carefully…" He adjusted his goggles and noise-cancelling headphones, then aimed at a round target in the distance. _"How much do I even know about her? Gary isn't even her dad."_ He fired two shots, hitting one in the center and the other towards the edge. Often he and his wife made a game out of shooting the targets, seeing who could get closer. Whoever got the most to the bullseye would plan something for the night. _"God I miss her."_

His eyes travelled to the target on the right and he felt a pang in his chest. He lowered his gun and a goofy smile appeared as he thought of Trina. "Why couldn't you be honest with me?" His smile faded and he bowed his head. "Why couldn't she trust me?" He removed the headphones and let out a despaired sigh.

"Hey buddy!" Someone called, causing him to flinch and twist around. A large glass company truck was positioned in the shoulder of the road, with the passenger side facing him. The window was rolled down and he could see a woman watching him closely. A man was leaning against the hood of the car, his elbow on the surface and his hand hanging loosely. The man flashed a smile and motioned to the targets. "You're doing well with your aim. You shoot often?"

"My wife and I." He jerked his thumb back at the trees. "We live about a mile that way, through the woods." The man raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. "You shoot any?" The man waved his hand casually and chuckled.

"Not really. I mean, once in a great while I like to cool off at the gun range, but I'm not a professional or anything. Just like to have a gun for defense." The man pushed himself up from the truck and walked forward. "My name's Beck. Beck Oliver."

"Martin Skopic." He extended his hand. The woman in the car turned her head suddenly, her eyes growing large and her eyebrows raising high. "What brings you out this way?"

"Skopic, huh?" Beck shook his hand with a firm grip, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm just getting some work done. Thought I'd travel on through this way since my cousin lives in these parts. You may have met her."

Martin shrugged. "Maybe. Name doesn't ring a bell."

"Jasmine Brown." Beck snapped his fingers and pointed. "You know what, I think I may have met your wife." Martin furrowed his brow and looked at the truck. The woman watching seemed a bit concerned, her forehead was wrinkled and she was slowly shaking her head. "She's working a homicide back in LA, I think."

"Homicide? Ellie?" Martin crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. He knew his wife wasn't a homicide detective yet, so this was strange. Beck leaned his head back and his mouth turned into an oval.

"I don't know her by that name. I know her by the name of Trina." Beck walked towards the targets, picking up the headphones and reaching for a gun that was holstered on the back of his jeans. He took aim at the target Trina usually shot at, closed one eye and pulled back the hammer. "Katrina Vega."

"Sounds like you know her personally…"

"Knew her." Beck fired a shot. Martin watched the bullet fly into the center of the target and hummed to himself. "Back in high school. She was a crazy as hell girl. Probably had all sorts of dark secrets." Beck turned his eyes to the sides as Martin bowed his head.

"She um, she never told me anything about her past."

"What? Really?" Beck's eyebrows rose and he lowered the gun. "She never told you about her past? What kind of person marries someone and doesn't tell you everything about their life."

The woman in the car twisted further, curling a hand over the bottom of the window and leaning her head out the door.

"I know." Martin scratched his head and paced to the right. "I mean, it's like she didn't trust me or something." Beck shrugged and aimed again at the target. "Why wouldn't she trust me?"

"She wasn't someone that could be trusted back then. She had a lot of problems. Kind of the crazy type." He fired off another shot and Martin turned to face him, furrowing his brow. On one hand, he was surprised to hear this about his wife, and on the other hand he was appalled that someone was talking about his wife like this.

"That's not who she is. I know who she is. I love my wife, and she is not crazy."

"Do you? Do you know who she is, man?" Beck leaned back, staring calmly at the target in front of him. "I remember once she stole blood from her sister as she was donating…" The woman's jaw fell open and her eyes seemed to bulge. "I don't know, if you're having problems trusting her, maybe you should think long and hard…how long have you been married for?"

Martin crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the ground. "Less than a year. We've been dating for nearly three. All this time I thought Mr. and Mrs. Lawton were her parents."

"So she lied to you about her family, huh?"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck and raised his head up. "She had a sister?"

Beck narrowed his eyes and took aim again. "Yeah. Victoria was her name. Nice girl, really. A lot nicer than Trina, and a lot saner." The woman bowed her head, and a tear started to run down the side of her face. "You wouldn't have had to worry about trust issues from her, not at all." He fired three consecutive shots, causing Martin to flinch each time. "Not surprised she didn't talk about her real family though, they were just as crazy. You might be dodging a bullet there…"

"No. I don't think she's anything like what you're telling me." He stammered, unsure what to think. "I love my wife. I love Ellie."

"Trina."

"Trina…" He turned around, rubbing his forehead with his wrist, groaning softly.

"To be brutally honest my man, I think everyone could use a little distraction. Even you. Maybe you should look up my cousin…" Martin's heart stopped and the woman's eyes grew further, now to the point that if they grew anymore they might pop out of her head. "She's a woman you can trust."

"What the hell are you suggesting?" Anger coursed through him and he beat his chest, growling several times. "I love my wife."

"Then why are you here? Where is she? Can you even trust that woman?" Beck holstered his gun and raised his eyebrows. "Who says she isn't cheating on you right now? I mean how much do you know about her? We used to have a friend, red-haired girl, dating a guy named Danny. Guess what, she went after him behind her back."

The woman shook her head again and looked down at a device in her hand, likely a cell phone.

Martin's hand shook and tensed around the handle of his gun. His lips pressed together and he began to tremble as the cold wind swept across his face. "I trust my wife. Maybe she had reasons…for not telling me…"

"Be careful not to trust a snake that plants a seed of doubt in your head and your heart." Beck waved his hand in the air. "Sorry man, forget I said anything about her. In fact, let me buy you a drink."

"I don't feel like drinking."

"Come on." Beck pat his shoulder and flashed a friendly, charming smile. "Just a drink or two, it's nothing much."

Giving in, he got into his car and followed the man to the local bar. His mind was spinning, doubt reeling in his brain and questions burning him like poison.

As the time passed, Martin was sure he drank more than Beck. The alcohol was causing his body a great deal of pain again, but he could stand it. Beck sat on the stool beside him while the woman he was with stayed at a table a few feet away.

"Why am I still drinking?" Martin said with a slur. Beck laughed and pat his back, as if he was suddenly his best friend.

"Because everyone can use a distraction. Something to take their focus away from the things stressing them the most. You, me, and even your wife." Martin groaned as the lights flashed and blurred in his vision. "Anyway, guess who I've called for you."

"What?"

"My dear sweet cousin." Martin sighed. The woman at the table slowly reached for a cell phone, staring at him and at Beck with narrowed eyes. He turned his head and saw a tanned woman walking towards them. She had a long red dress with a low cut collar, revealing a great deal of cleavage, and a long slit along her thigh. "Jasmine, it's so good to see you."

"We live four hours apart and barely talk," Jasmine replied. Her voice was soft and sultry, and she had long, dark wavy hair like Jessica Rabbit. "Who's your handsome friend?" Beck extended his hand, motioning at Martin.

"Jasmine, meet Martin. Martin, meet Jasmine." Martin hunched over his beer, gripping it protectively and close to his heart. His eyes clenched shut as Jasmine sat beside him and slowly put her hand to his back.

"Hello Martin. Beck's told me a little about you, I think it's nice you can handle a gun. What else can you do?" Martin opened his eyes partially, sighing heavily.

"I teach history. Aside from that, I've worked on cars."

"Fancy yourself a handyman, then?"

"Sure…" He looked up, gasping softly at the predicament he found himself in. Jasmine was an extremely attractive woman with soft blue eyes and ruby red lips.

As he stared at her, one of the bar's patrons began to sing a strangely familiar song on the karaoke stage. _Almost Persuaded_ , rang in Martin's head as if trying to remind him of something.

 _Last night, all alone in a barroom. Met a girl with a drink in her hand. She had ruby red lips, coal black hair, and eyes that would tempt any man._

Beck turned away, raising his hand for the bartender. "Tell me more about yourself," Jasmine said as she put her hand over his. His eyes travelled down and his heart began to race.

 _Then she came and sat down at my table. And as she placed her soft hand in mine, I found myself wanting to kiss her for temptation was flowing like wine…and I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride. Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside_

He felt a knot in his throat and wiped away the sweat running down the side of his face. Behind him Beck chuckled and said something to the bartender about giving him another drink.

On the stage, the man singing sounded so close to the real thing, which was remarkable as he never heard anyone come close to the original so late at a karaoke bar. "Would you like to dance with me, Martin?"

"I don't dance." He swallowed heavily and stared down as her hand squeezed his, then ran along his forearm. "Don't. I…"

 _Then we danced and she whispered 'I need you. Take me away from here and be my man.' Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it…a reflection of my wedding band._

The singer was looking his way now, and it seemed as though he was able to see and think more clearly than just moments before. As though the man on stage were instructing him, he looked at Jasmine and furrowed his brow.

She was gazing down at his hand, studying the ring on his finger. He balled his hand into a fist, straining his throat and tensing his jaw as Trina came to his mind; and with her, a not so distant memory.

 _"I know you have to talk about that job in Maine," Trina said while taking his hands in hers. It had been a long day, and Carol was in the hospital after a mild heart attack. "So…" Martin looked into her soft eyes with a chuckle and started to smile._

 _"You are crazy if you think I'm going to leave now, I don't care if it's a full professorship at Harvard."_

 _Trina's smile grew and her soft voice enchanted him. "Thanks, babe."_

 _"For what?"_

 _She squeezed his hand gently and breathed in. "I know I don't really show it, but I can't live without you." He squeezed her hand and she leaned forward, kissing his lips. "I love you."_

"I love my wife." Martin furrowed his brow and glared at the woman pushing her hand up his forearm. "Leave me _alone!"_ He pulled away so quick that Jasmine nearly fell off her bar stool.

The woman at the table smirked as Martin pushed away the pint of beer placed before him. "I will never do that to her." He didn't care if he felt betrayed because she kept things hidden from him, he knew she trusted him and wasn't going to damage that. "I'm better than that, stronger than this. I don't even know who the hell you are or what you're trying to pull, but I will never hurt my wife."

He thought he heard the woman at the table mutter, "Then what are you doing away from her?"

Beck frowned and watched as Martin started for the door. In the corner of his eyes, he thought he saw the singer grin as he finished the song on a powerful note.

 _And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on. Almost persuaded! But your sweet love made me stop and go home._

In LA, Trina and David were driving down the road after spending some time at the shooting range. They were listening to a CD of classic songs and singing along to David Houston's _Almost Persuaded_ when the chime of her cell phone caught her attention.

"Oh! Got a text." Trina grabbed her phone and opened the text, raising her eyebrows at the sender. "From Jade?" She'd given the girl her personal number before Beck left, telling her to contact her if she remembered anything at all.

David looked over, staring down at the phone. "Maybe she thought of something. See what it is." He turned the volume down, but the song was still loud enough to hear.

Her hands began to shake as her eyes scanned the message, and fear gripped her heart firmly. "No." She raised her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes, groaning softly.

"What is it?"

She didn't know whether to be relieved or afraid. Anger rushed through her veins, but she had no target for her rage. All she could think was how much she needed to talk to her husband.

"I'll just read it." Her voice shook with grief as she tried to hold the phone steady. "Stumbled across your husband today, Beck started talking to him." David tensed and slowed the car to halt in a nearby parking lot. "Took him to a bar, got him drunk and tried to introduce him to his cousin…who happens to be a prostitute."

"Holy shit." David raised his voice, coming close to belligerence. "What the hell is the point? Why would he do that? What's he playing at?"

"Tried getting Martin drunk enough to cheat. Martin stayed true to you. He loves you"

Trina sank into her chair as tears ran from her face. "What the fuck did I do to Beck?" She knew what she wanted to do to him. "I'm not the same girl I was back then, I don't get picked on without giving a fight back."

"Calm down." David brought his hands to his face, clasping them together at the tip of his nose. "Keep your focus."

"Weren't you just shouting a second ago?"

"Yes, but the sanctity of your marriage seems fine. I think we need to focus on the case."

Trina looked at her phone and growled. "Maybe we should focus on Beck."

"Don't become emotionally charged now. We have no evidence to suggest he is even a suspect…" David took her phone and looked at the text message with a calmness in his eyes. "Though this does arouse suspicions. It's almost like he was _trying_ to make something happen."

"Did it work?"

"You tell me." David looked sideways at her and slid his thumb slowly across the bottom of her phone. "Can you still focus on the case, or are you worried further about your marriage so much that you cannot focus?"

She got the point, and she wasn't going to lose focus. "I need to talk to Martin." Her arms crossed over and her eyes narrowed. "But no, I won't lose focus." She grabbed her phone and held her breath. "Why would Beck purposely talk to my husband and try to make him cheat on me unless there's some old vendetta he has against me? I'm starting to regret even coming back to Los Angeles…"

"Don't." David started the car up and sighed. "Let your emotions work though you, but don't let them destroy you. Keep your head."

"Do you think it's some old vendetta?"

"Never seemed the type to hold a grudge, but who knows? He could still hold a grudge for the whole puppet thing…" Trina raised an eyebrow and David glanced out the window. "I did look at the security system I had installed back then, saw he was lying through his teeth, and confronted him about it later." She was impressed, but not surprised. "You might also think about how much Jade truly remembers."

"Yeah." Jade supposedly had full-on amnesia, but that was questionable if she remembered enough to know Beck's cousin. She wasn't too sure the Jade she remembered would have let her know what was up, however. "And there were a number of times I think I may have insulted the guy or irritated him. Maybe my coming back in town sparked something in him?"

"Possibly…"

"You don't still have that security footage in the house?"

David sighed. "I wish." Trina frowned and David shook his head. "Your mother wanted it uninstalled when we got divorced. She didn't think I should be watching everything that went on in that house if I wasn't there anymore."

"Great. Just great."

"Anyway. Sit back, relax, and let's finish listening to our CD."

She smiled and wiped away the frenzied tears on her cheeks. "I'll try." She reached down and pulled up the handle that reclined her seat. Her eyes closed and she let out a small sigh as the song came to its end.

 _Almost Persuaded…but your sweet love made me stop and go home!_

* * *

Well, that happened. What are your thoughts about everything in this chapter? I'm not sure Martin came as close to cheating as it seems though, actually it doesn't even look like he considered the aspect whatsoever, but this seemed to wake him up a little. Tell me your thoughts. Next chapter we have Martin also, but we'll see a couple we know well that have become great performers...you can guess who.


	12. Class Act

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 12 (Class Act)

The guilt he felt could not be eradicated easily. Though Martin did not cheat on his wife, and never would he commit such an atrocity to his marriage, he couldn't shake the feeling of being the world's greatest dumbass.

Alcohol caused him a great deal of pain, so after that night he vowed never to drink again. There were a few missed calls from his wife since, and voicemails where all he could do was listen to her voice. "I love you," she would say, "I need you. I never meant to hurt you, and I know you wouldn't hurt me. We need to talk, please, I can't keep going on like this…Martin…"

He could see she was hurting, but he felt there was nothing he could do. Never had he wanted to become the source of her pain, the reason behind her tears. She needed him to support her, as he had done in the past, and he was too ashamed to even talk to her.

Martin chose now to distract himself with something he'd never seen before: A carnival of sorts. Not a circus, but a family of magicians and comedians traveling the countryside. They were travelling through the elderly community of Oasis Canyon, where Gary and Carol were, and stopping there to entertain the elderly before moving on to their next destination. Gary suggested he go, and here he was in the third row of a large auditorium.

The stage was lit by a border of lights, and a long velvet red cape began to pull away. Martin smiled as he saw a man in center stage. He had a long cape, black on the back and red on the inside, and was wearing a tuxedo. A top hat rested atop curly black hair. His head was bowed and his hand was on the tip of the hat.

"Introducing," said a deep disembodied voice, "The great! The eccentric! Robert Augustine Shapiro." The man raised his head and extended his arms.

"Augusté, man, the name is Augusté. Tis not my fault, my mother was French and my father was cattle." Martin blinked twice, the corner of his lip twitched.

"I was simply saying…"

"Introduce my stunning assistant and gorgeous wife." There was a long pause, followed by Robbie rolling his eyes. "Never you mind, I shall do it myself." The man removed his top hat, letting it sail through the air. A red bird flew from the hat, causing Martin and the audience to gasp. "What? My wife was supposed to come out of that." Robbie looked up to where the bird disappeared atop the stage. "Ah. Aha! There you be!"

A trapeze descended into view. Martin's eyes grew large and he applauded with the audience when he saw a woman hanging with the trapeze at her midsection. She had a long red one piece suit resembling a bathing suit, and coattails split in two going down her legs. Her vibrant red hair swept past her shoulders and caressed her back.

The woman dropped, releasing the bar for a split second, then gripping it with her palms facing inwards. She pulled herself up and kicked forward, doing this until she encircled the bar. Robbie raised his hands, motioning towards him. "Come hither my dear, so we may begin. We don't want to leave these folks waiting now."

The stage beneath his feet started to shift and he lowered one hand as a platform pushed him into the air. "Come now Catherine, we do not have all day my sweet." Cat glared at him, pausing for a moment, then continuing to perform a series of acrobatics on the trapeze.

Martin laughed and Robbie looked at the audience with a sigh. "Women. So very stubborn." Cat flung towards him, arms and legs outstretched. Robbie jumped back, shouting in alarm as he extended his arms and caught her around the waist. "My dear?" He pulled her close, holding her hand above their heads and his left arm around her waist. "Whatever has gotten into you?"

The platform beneath them lowered, leaving them in midair. Robbie looked down, then up, down again, and back to his wife. "Good lord woman!" Cat proceeded to fall back slowly, dropping her upper body, arms and head towards the ground. Robbie held her firmly, sweeping her to the side and pushing up on her back, resulting in her springing to life and throwing her arms around his neck. He looked into her eyes, bounced a single eyebrow and started to descend with her. "Shall we drop, my love? So you see, I have you. Trust, and we will not fail."

As they lowered, a young girl started doing a series of frontal flips from the back end of the stage. She had curly brown hair, a freckled face, and couldn't have been much older than eight years old. The child hopped up and extended her arms into the air, grabbing Robbie and Cat by the ankles.

"Ah look, it's our Kitten." The child pulled them to the ground and started to circle them. Robbie hugged his wife and the couple began to couch as the child tossed a blanket over them. To Martin's surprise, the couple seemed to shrink until the blanket slid off Robbie and landed flat on the ground.

"Whoa!" Martin's eyes widened and he leaned forward. "Where'd she go?" He was already getting into this, it was a class act like no other and excelled at getting him to forget about his worries elsewhere.

Robbie put his hand to his forehead and started looking around. "Oh Catherine? Where be you my love?" A cloud of smoke burst behind him, and once it cleared, the audience could see Cat laying down on a table. "There you are!"

Robbie ran to the other side of her and held his hand over her stomach, as she had her hands on it. "What ails you my dear?" His hand rose, and with it, her stomach started to balloon. It shrank when he pushed his hand down and ballooned again as he raised his hand. "What is this mysteriousness?"

He gripped the handle bars and rushed her off, calling for a doctor. He ran back onto the stage with a tall box that had a door in place. Martin's eyebrows rose and he started to chuckle as he watched Cat, with a ballooned stomach, enter the box. Robbie shut the door, then proceeded to open it.

What came out was a five year old boy with light brown hair and a round face. The boy waved and walked to the left. "Oh! It's a child!" Robbie shut the door. "Love? Are we done yet?" He opened the door and an identical boy marched out. "Another child? Have we cloned a boy?" He shut the door and whisked his arm out in front of him, staring down at his wrist. His foot tapped the stage several times then he opened the door again, and once more an identical young boy marched out, waving the same as the other two.

"Oh my god there's three of them." Martin covered his mouth and raised his eyebrows. Robbie shut the door again and looked around the box, gasping as his wife walked around from the back, her stomach once again shrunken.

The family walked to the front of the stage, Robbie and Cat standing in the center of their four children, they took each other's hands and bowed. "So it begins…"

The magic routine went on for a good two hours almost, then dispersed. Martin had a great time, laughing at all the comic moments and relaxing. At the end of it all, he dispersed into the café within the building.

He ordered some food and took a seat at a table, where he spent more time gazing at a photograph of his wife on their wedding day. Tears welled up in his eyes when he thought about how separated they were right now; and he still didn't know how to react to her having never discussed her past.

To his surprise, he saw Robbie and his family eating there as well. When he looked up, he saw the magician staring at him with a perplexed look. The man snapped his fingers and walked over. "What is this?" Robbie asked while spreading his arms out. "You come to my show and you cry? Did I not entertain?" Martin wiped his eyes and chuckled softly.

"No, no, it isn't that. I loved your show." Robbie took a seat, his eyes drifting towards the photograph. The man leaned back, straightening his broad shoulders and letting out a gentle show. "I'm just thinking about Ellie." Robbie's eyebrow rose and his out turned up into a smile.

"Your wife?"

"I miss her. She's working a case in LA right now…we haven't really been talking."

Robbie leaned forward, cupping his chin and furrowing his bushy eyebrows. "How come?" The man released his chin and waved his hand. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." Martin sniffed, running his thumb over the glossy photograph. His chest ached and his stomach turned over. "Are you having a fight?"

"Because of her past, because I realized I don't know a thing about her."

"Oh? You know nothing of a woman you've married?"

"We've been together three years."

"So how do you say you don't know her, kind sir?"

"Because…she isn't who she said she is."

"She is not? Who does she say she is? Who has she been in these years you've been with her?"

"God I…" Martin chuckled once and closed his eyes. "She's kind, she doesn't give up on anything. She-She's remarkable. She's determined and caring. I've always loved the way she smiles whenever she meets someone new and engages in conversation. I've never met a woman like her in my life, with the spirit or soul she has. She's strong, though she wouldn't admit it, she is."

"What makes you think she isn't any of these things all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, man." Martin ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "I'm feeling like she couldn't be honest with me about her past. She didn't tell me she had a sister, didn't tell me about her parents. Ellie's not even her actual name."

Robbie put his hand to his chest, gasping aloud. "No!" The man leaned back, laughing out. "She sounds a lot like this girl I used to know. Trina Vega." Martin smiled sadly, recognizing the name. Robbie smirked. "Marvelous woman!"

Cat walked over, pushing her hand forward along her husband's shoulder. "Marvelous woman," she said in agreeance. "I heard Ellie. Who is Ellie?" Robbie cleared his throat and leaned into his wife, who was looking suspiciously at him.

"Trina Vega."

"Oh." Cat raised her arm, belting out. "Marvelous woman!" Cat took a seat and looked at her husband. "Been a long time."

"Yes, yes." Robbie leaned back slowly, chuckling softly. "She went through a lot of pain in the days I remember her." Martin opened his mouth, but was too stunned for words. "Picked on and bullied constantly, but you know what? She always tried to stay on top of it all, never letting it get to her. She was strong, and determined to make a good life for herself one way or another."

Martin frowned and closed his eyes. "You don't say…I met someone that knew her, he said she was insane. Like she almost tried to kill this sister of hers by taking her blood one time for a role in a play or something." Cat furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

Robbie folded his hands on the table, rubbing his thumbs together. "Now you see my good sir, that never occurred. No. Whomever told you that was a liar with poor intentions." Robbie raised a finger, clearing his throat. "A magician's motive is to deceive for the amusement of those who are to be entertained. A liar's motive is to deceive for his own amusement. A liar cannot be trusted, but a magician is not a liar and can be trusted."

"What are you saying?"

"This man? Who was he?"

"I don't know. Some glasswork guy named Beck." Robbie leaned back and exchanged a strange look with his wife. "You know him?"

"A bit." Robbie waved his hand in the air. "He is unimportant." Robbie cleared his throat and leaned forward, pointing. "I will tell you however, a woman named Jade is the one for whom the incident you discuss happened." Cat nodded solemnly and Martin's mouth fell open. "That very woman, who dated this Beck, was the main source of bullying towards Katrina Vega. Poor girl, even I caused her a good amount of grief."

"Oh yes," Cat remarked while rolling her eyes. "Thank god you haven't dropped me from a harness yet." Robbie closed his eyes and swept his index finger towards Cat.

"Let us not discuss that matter, my dear."

"I'm surprised she didn't kick your ass after that."

"I'm surprised I'm not dead yet, especially after tasting your cooking the other night, my sweet."

"Excuse me?"

"That firecracker salmon?" Robbie pat his stomach and groaned. "Oh that gave me grief for days my love."

"Be wary, sweetie, lest you fall from a harness one day."

Martin coughed into his hand and stifled a laugh as Robbie shook his head and looked back at the man. "Trina Vega. She had a lot of trust issues, understandably so. Her father was distant, her mother uninvolved, and her sister was right with the lot of her friends about insulting her sister."

"Wow." Martin's heart sank into his stomach and he bowed his head. "Sounds rough."

"She had a rough life. Her grandparents passed away, but no one ever talked much about what happened. There were tragedies in her childhood. Ah if only she had the support of friends and family, but she never did. Perhaps only her godparents."

"Yeah…" His brow furrowed. "You know, that Beck, he also said she went after some red-haired girl's boyfriend. Danny or whatever." Cat's face tensed for a second and Beck turned to her, laughing abruptly.

"This one is yours, my dear."

Rolling her eyes, Cat leaned forward, sliding her hand along the edge of Robbie's chair. "Trina never went after Danny. Or she did, but only to beat his ass for cheating on her sister." Confused, he asked if Trina's sister was red-headed. "Danny was an old boyfriend of mine as well, years after he dated my good friend, Victoria. She was upset about it, and then confronted him…I walked in on the two of them kissing."

"So…That was Tori, not Trina?"

"That is correct." Beck turned back to face him and shrugged. "This Mr. Oliver was one of those who bullied Trina on a regular basis, so be sure you take his words with a grain of salt."

The truth was it didn't seem so bad what he'd been upset about. She wasn't acting differently, she was only avoiding a past she didn't want to think about. "Sounds like she needs someone to stand by her side and take care of her."

"Taking care of her, she's got that covered herself," Cat remarked, "But certainly she needs someone to be supportive of her. Someone she knows she can depend on. Because she could never be strong all the time."

"Nobody can be strong all the time," Robbie replied, "Why there are many times I must lean upon you my sweet." He was certain these two didn't talk like this when they weren't out in public, but it was slightly amusing. "I remember ten years ago." Robbie leaned back slowly, his demeanor shifting. "She took off, too much negativity in her life. She wanted nothing to do with it."

"Yeah." Martin dropped his hands to his lap and bumped his thumbs together. "My wife's real father showed up, and now it sounds like she's facing all that past again."

"Right now is the most important thing," Cat marveled, "Has she given you any reason to think she is not the woman you know she is?"

"No…"

"Aha!" Robbie clapped and raised a hand. "My love. Bring me my deck of playing cards, please." Cat nodded and moved back to the table where her children were, rummaging through a purse. She returned with a box of playing cards.

"What are we doing?" Martin leaned forward, raising his eyebrows as Robbie removed the cards and started to shuffle.

"A magic trick my good man." Robbie raised the deck with one hand and let the cards fall into his other. "As you can see here, I have a completely normal deck, fifty two cards, four suits and thirteen numbers." He smiled, recognizing the magic trick of card prediction.

"So you want me to pick a card and predict?"

"Yes." Robbie spilled the cards out before him and began swishing them together to shuffle him. Eventually he began pushing them together, then gave Martin the top card. "Here. I will now attempt to guess your card. Listen to me and listen well."

Martin raised a portion of his card and was stunned to see it wasn't a normal playing card. There was a J in the top left corner and a J in the bottom right corner, and in the middle was figure wearing a jester's cap. There was a very slight tear over the heart beside the J.

"I predict that you carry the Joker card." Bewildered and amazed, he set the card down face up. Robbie had a serious expression on his face and nodded twice. "You are the Joker of broken hearts." Martin gasped softly and Robbie's eyes raised up towards his face. "You realize what a fool you have been and return to your wife."

Robbie had shown him the cards as he shuffled, there were no joker cards in the deck. "H-How did you?" He shook his head and stammered, unsure of what exactly just happened. Robbie flashed a grin and stood up, extending his arms out sideways.

"A magician never reveals his secrets, my friend." Robbie looked him in the eyes and narrowed them. "Now go, before your foolishness costs you something you do not wish to lose, such as…" Robbie pulled the top card from the deck and did not look at it as he flipped it over. "The Queen of your heart." When Martin looked, he was shocked to see the queen of hearts staring at him in the face.

"You-"

"Have been at this a long time, friend." Robbie put an arm around his wife, kissed the top of her head, and proceeded to turn away.

Cat glanced over, waving her hand. "I recommend chocolate and flowers." Martin stammered and shook his head. He knew his wife, Trina liked chocolate but she wasn't one for chocolate and floral apologies.

"She doesn't really do chocolate and flowers."

"Then do something to amaze her." Robbie looked over his shoulder and smirked. "What is something about you she loves?"

"She always says I'm goofy or something…" Their first date consisted of popcorn and orange soda, because he didn't know anything better. Recently she took him out to the country side where they had a picnic of popcorn and orange soda, reliving their silly first date because she thought it was sweet and goofy. "Maybe I'll um…Maybe I'll get some popcorn and orange soda."

Robbie chuckled and turned away. "Sure, friend, if that is what you think will help. By all means, the best of luck to you." They began walking away, then paused for Robbie to glance back at him. "By the way, Trina's middle name? Ellie. Trina Ellie Vega. Don't be a Joker of hearts any longer, friend, be that supporter she needs."

And just like that, they were gone, taking their children and leaving the café. Martin didn't know where their next stop would be, but that mattered little to him. The couple had been right, he'd been stupid and obnoxious and now when his wife needed him most, he was miles away from her.

He had to fix this, but he didn't know how. He was nervous as well, because he was sure his actions hurt her in a way he never wanted to harm. He was going to make things right somehow, he had to; and he would, if it was the last thing he did.

"Trina, I love you." He looked at the wedding photo, his eyes welling up with tears. "Hang in there. I'm coming, sweetheart. I'm coming."

* * *

I truly hope you enjoyed this chapter, and at least found some sort of amusement in it. Tell me your thoughts, your observations. Martin seems to be coming around. This is good.


	13. Another Angle

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 13 (Another Angle)

Seated across from her was Daniel Mattis, the boy that Tori dated long ago and, according to Beck, hooked up with her again in recent years. "So Danny, I hear you and Miss Vega started dating again." She tapped her nails gently on the surface of the table and slanted her eyes. Danny's eyes slid towards her and his eyebrows started to rise. "And you got into a few nasty arguments with Mr. Harris."

She laid out the photographs of the four victims and pointed to Tori. "Tori and Andre were the key victims of one man's rage. Her mother and friend were caught up in this attack. Two people are dead, Danny, one is in a coma and the other has been left paralyzed."

"Am I under arrest?" He turned his eyes up and put his hand to his chest. "Am I being accused?" She leaned back slowly, her nostrils flaring out. In the past, there had been so much she wanted to do to this guy because of what he did to her little sister. Unfortunately none of that applied now.

"No. We are simply trying to consider all our options. Did you or did you not start up a relationship with Tori Vega recently?"

"I did, but that was three or four years ago." Danny crossed his arms and Trina felt her heart beginning to sink. She didn't fully believe he had done it, but it was the strongest and most viable lead they had found.

He had a record of assault as well, and had been to jail a few times. Trina pulled open the file she had on him and pushed a sheet of paper in front of him. "You've been arrested for assault, and DWI."

"Doesn't mean I had anything to do with what happened to Tori and her family." Danny nodded and pushed the paper back. "I had gotten into a few tussles with Andre when dating Tori. He was so protective of her, even when we were together, that I was getting sick of it." Danny's eyes narrowed and his voice started to rise. "We argued, and yes I came close to hitting her in anger, but I would never kill somebody."

"An abuser doesn't always intend to murder, but we've seen those situations end that way." Danny frowned, and his entire body seemed to drop as though he were giving up. "Where were you that evening?"

"Bowling with friends. I won. I have the ticket in my jacket." He pointed his thumb to the jacket hanging on his chair. "Inside breast pocket, left flap." Trina looked to the officer in the room and motioned to the jacket. Danny raised his hands to his face, sighing into them and groaning as the officer began searching the jacket. "I did care about her. The first time we dated, I screwed up. When I was with Cat, I screwed up." He lowered his hands, revealing watery eyes. "I could never do to her what that bastard did that night."

The officer removed a scorecard from the jacket and handed it to Trina. She read it aloud, checking the date and the score. "Okay." She set it down in her folder and Danny bowed his head. "You don't mind us calling your friends that you played with, just in case?"

"Go for it." The officer handed him a pen and paper, instructing him to write down the names. "I won't mince words, I'm not surprised to hear about Andre. He always came across possessive, almost as possessive as his best friend, but not as unbearable. They kind of complimented each other."

Trina raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Which best friend?" She had a feeling in her gut, but wanted to hear it from this man himself.

"Beck Oliver." Danny set the pen down on top of the paper and raised his eyebrows high. "When I was dating Tori, I'd personally see Beck keeping Jade close by and in his sight. He was always checking on her and smothering her…which is strange, because I don't remember him like that in high school."

"People do change as they grow." She crossed her arms and started to hum. "Do you know if he was like this when they started working?"

"Yeah." Danny motioned to Jade's photograph. "She got a job somewhere, he got a job elsewhere. When they weren't together, I remember it was like he couldn't wait for her to get off work. She needed to be home right after she got off, and had to stay there. If she did go out, he needed to know where she was and what she was doing at all times. He was possessive as fuck, if you'll pardon my language…"

"Sure…" She moved her hair over her shoulder and looked down to the folder. "Did you ever notice any other strange behaviors from them when you were dating Tori?"

"Not much. They had a fairly dysfunctional relationship. Both were paranoid the other was cheating on them." Danny folded his forearms on the table and leaned towards her. "Though if you ask me, she was the one looking for fun. He was always busy working, so she was on the prowl-not the other way around."

"Do you know this, or are you making an assumption of character?"

Danny scoffed and leaned back, sweeping his hands out. "Hell, she even approached me, asking if I knew anybody that would be willing to take her out somewhere. She was unhappy, but didn't want to leave her meal ticket. She just needed a man-whore on the side!"

"And did you accept her approaches?"

"Hell no! I wasn't going to go near that mess." Danny shook his head several times and cleared his throat. "I don't even want to know what Beck would have done if he even remotely suspected I'd try and touch his woman." Trina's eyes narrowed and the corner of her mouth slid into a smirk.

"Sounds like you had reason to fear him."

"I wasn't so much afraid of him as I didn't want to earn his ire or cause a huge fight between him and his girlfriend, or him and myself." Danny's hands moved to his chest and his eyebrows rose. "I had enough contention with Andre scrutinizing my every move."

"And that is why I ask you about Andre and Tori. My concern here is that you could have been angry enough, or vengeful enough to go after them."

"Right, I got that, but I don't hold grudges years later."

"Why would you be fingered, then?"

"I don't know. Maybe whoever pointed at me just didn't like me."

Just then, the officer walked up to her with a sheet of paper given to him by a lab technician. "You need to see this, Detective." Trina looked up at him and took the report. What she saw was not only stunning, but it frightened her. "Three out of four victims were HIV positive. The blood on the windowsill belonging to the killer-"

"Also HIV positive," she muttered. The only one that wasn't was Holly. Danny blinked twice and leaned back, both of them were aware he did not have this in his blood. "Danny. You're free to go…just stay close and don't leave town, okay?"

She cupped her hand over her mouth, furrowing her brow and waiting as the officer guided Danny out of the room. "It can't be." David entered and sat across from her, staring at the report in her trembling hand. "Dad, this can't be right."

"We know at least every one of the porn stars we've spoken with have been positively tested with HIV," David replied, "Many of them were caught unaware. Some were highly agitated when they found out."

She was aware of this, and knew it would give them great cause for motive. "These results could be indicative of a false positive. The blood needs to be isolated, because both the killer and one of our victims have blood on the same surface. That could have contaminated the other."

"Very true. One may be a true positive and the other might not." David took the report and frowned. "The question here is…which one is the true positive?" Trina raised her hand to her left temple and leaned towards the touch, rubbing her forehead with a groan.

It had been harder to focus lately with what happened to Martin, but she still had no clue what Beck would have been delivering all the way over there. "Beck has a cousin over in that area," Trina said. David arched an eyebrow. "But that doesn't explain him delivering window panes to Oasis Canyon."

"Sure it does. If people in that area moved there from LA and used his company, and were loyal enough, they could order special from there. There are a number of reasons why a company will send a truck out for hours."

"I guess." She raised her head, groaning softly. "Sorry to bring it up."

"It's hard, I know."

Trina shook herself and dropped her hand to the table. "Something else I remember. Back in the day, when I would be out practicing my martial arts, I'd see Beck from time to time."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we wouldn't talk or anything. I would just be practicing and he'd be running around the park. He was very into athleticism and would be involved in things like parkour..." She didn't consider if this whole thing with Martin had been an effort to distract her or not, and if it had been, she had to figure out why. "Do you think we need to consider Beck a suspect?"

"Why?" David curled a finger over his upper lip and his eyebrows flattened.

"Well…" She straightened her back and opened her hands. "He knows I'm investigating this case, and he went after my husband. I think he has lied to us on multiple occasions, and I'm not quite convinced of his back trouble." David dropped his hand and smiled.

"I think we should look into this. He may not be the perp, but given recent actions, he is a person of interest. We certainly need to check him out." She nodded and peered down at her hands, fidgeting with them in her lap. David's head tilted as he watched her. "So this Martin. You said his first date, he took you over to Mt. Lemmon with what?" Her eyes lit up and she smiled wide, remembering the date.

"Popcorn, chocolate covered raisins, and orange soda."

"Wow."

"I thought it was romantic." She chuckled softly and closed her eyes. "I wound up doing the same thing for him on a spur of the moment date night not that long ago."

David's thumb tapped the steering wheel. "What made you choose him?" Trina raised her eyebrows and felt a rush of blood rise to her cheeks. "What I saw of him, he didn't appear to be athletic."

"He's not. He jogs a little, but he's not athletic."

"Growing up, that was all you'd date. I recall the last man you dated, some martial arts expert that moved back to Texas. Muscular and toned."

"Martin came up to me, he was shy and nervous, but honest. He didn't have a clue what he was doing, but he had to try." She looked down and a smile formed on her face. "He was smart, and was always trying to impress me with his knowledge."

"How'd you meet?"

"I would go jogging around the park outside of the university he was at, he'd always be on the bench reading some book. Eventually, I stopped to talk to him about something he was reading…we became friends. One day we were in the park and he just started blushing and telling me how he didn't want to mess up a friendship, but he was hoping to take me out on a date. It was nice."

"You miss him?"

"Yeah. He's a good man."

"Sounds like it." David stood up and extended his hand to her, helping her up. They left the room and started towards the exit of the building. "I remember when you were a little girl, I always said I was going to be the father that scares away any boy that comes near my little girl." She smirked and he started to chuckle. "You meet a man out of my line of vision and now you're married…"

There was a small change she noticed in his expression, a hint of sadness flashing across his face. "Gary walked you down the aisle, I guess?" He pushed the door open and waited as she walked out.

"Yeah. Martin thought Gary was my real dad for a while." He may as well have been during those years. Many times when she called Gary 'dad', she didn't do so out of a false act, but because she felt like he was close enough to being her father. "It was hard to talk to him about my past. I didn't want to scare him off or make him think I was damaged goods."

"You're anything but that." They stopped in the middle of the parking lot and she turned to him, gazing up solemnly.

"You think so? After everything I've been through?"

"You've been through a lot, but you're a tough girl. You've risen above a lot of it." Her heart lifted up and she smiled at her father. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Thanks, Dad." It was difficult to talk about her feelings with him, and by that same token, she figured he was the same way. Some things didn't need to be said, while other things were far more difficult to say.

She gave him a pat on the arm, then moved for the car, catching a glimpse of a smile from him as she turned. It didn't seem like much, but that look of pride in his eyes was everything to her. Perhaps he needed her as much as she needed her dad. It had been so long that she didn't even know where to start.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to walk me down the aisle at my wedding." He shrugged and entered the car, saying little. Trina got in and looked at him with a tiny smirk. He wasn't emotionless or hard, she knew how he felt about the matter, whether or not he spoke up. It was something he'd talked about doing throughout her life, something he looked forward to.

"I know I wasn't the best dad in the world, and certainly not the easiest person to get along with. I should have been there for you." He started up the car and glanced sideways at her. "There was nothing you did that was wrong, Trina. If you know nothing else, I want you to know that. Nothing you did was wrong."

She dipped her eyes and slowly rubbed her arm. "Still hurts from time to time." She raised her head, glancing out of the car. "You know…the community Gary and Carol live, there were a string of robberies going on. One of those guys had the same name. 'Ned'. It was weird, almost surreal. Different guy, same name, doing the same shit." She tapped her chest and looked at her father, watching the frown grow on his face. "I stopped them, Dad. I actually stopped them."

"Good."

"Back then…why did you ignore me? Why did you act like what happened to us changed me? Made me worse?"

"It didn't change you, Trina. Not for the worse, it changed me." He sighed and dropped his shoulders. His eyes poured out onto the scene before them and his voice started to tremble. "I was guilty, ashamed. I couldn't protect my own family. My parents, my daughter. What kind of a cop was I that I couldn't defend you?"

"You were a damn good cop." He closed his eyes, chuckling in defiance. She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned fully towards him. "Everything I know, everything I learned, I learned from you. Even now, I'm still learning from you." His eyes opened partially and his lips curled into a half smile. "I wanted to be a detective just like you, nothing about that changed. If anything, those two men made me want to be a cop even more, just to put bastards like them away."

"Yeah, but now look where we are. Your mother, your sister…"

"Well put whoever did this to them away."

"I'm thinking…" He swallowed and shifted the car into drive. "I'm thinking I may retire after this. I'm not sure I can take much more." David looked at her with a mild laugh. "Besides, I've had my fill. It's your turn to shine."

"Think I'll be a good cop, Dad?"

His smile grew.

"A damn good one." Her heart skipped as David pressed down on the gas. "Come on, let's go catch the bastard that hurt your mom and sister."

* * *

Thoughts? Observations?


	14. Two Fathers

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 14 (Two Fathers)

Martin was busy throwing everything he could into a suitcase while Gary paced behind him. He was eager to find his wife, and soon. "You know," Gary said with a calm voice, "Just because David is her real father doesn't mean I'm no less her father than he." Martin raised an eyebrow and turned his head. "I was her godfather, and for the last ten years, I took care of her."

"I guess."

"We never lied, she looked up to me like a father. For the last ten years, I may as well have been." He understood that now. Some areas were a little shady, but he knew she was still the woman he fell in love with. "I've always had her best intentions in mind, Martin; so she may as well have had two fathers and two mothers."

Martin's forehead crinkled and he turned around, looking with partial concern at Gary. "You were at that performance, right?" Gary nodded once and crossed his arms. "Did you have a chance to talk to the magician?" The elder man chuckled and slowly shook his head. Carol spoke up, having been a silent observer through it all.

"I talked to him after the performance." The men looked at her and Martin raised his eyebrows. "I ran into his wife outside the café just before he came to catch up with his family, and I told her what had been going on." Martin's jaw fell open and Carol nodded firmly. "She said Robbie didn't even want to stop in a small elderly community where he felt most of his audience would be sleeping, but she had a feeling to stop here and convinced him it was a good idea."

"So you pointed Martin out?" Gary turned his head to Martin, smirking further. "Did they end up talking to you, Marty?"

"Yeah…" Martin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "They told me a lot, made me realize how stupid I was…and how close I came to believing Beck's words." Gary did a double take and his eyes grew wide as saucers. "This guy comes driving up a few days ago in a glass company truck and starts talking about her once I tell him who I am. He starts telling me all sorts of stories…"

"Beck Oliver?" Carol's voice trembled and her quivering hand rose to his chest. "Gary? Isn't he a suspect in that case Trina's investigating?" Gary snapped his head to the right and raised a finger to his lips.

"We are not supposed to discuss the details of a homicide investigation, Carol!"

Martin's heart began to sink and he started to see the situation he was in. Had he been approached by a suspect in Trina's murder investigation, then he was likely trying to get something to happen that might draw Trina's focus and attention away from the case.

That incident was attempted through the woman Beck said was his cousin, but it had failed. "Gary, I've called you 'dad' since marrying her, but you're her godfather…" Gary folded his hands over his stomach, tapping the surface of his hand with his index finger.

"You can call me 'Don', if you want." The man smirked and Martin started to laugh. "I'll tell you something." Gary put his hand on Martin's back, between his shoulders, and walked with him a few feet forward. "Trina. Your wife. She is everything you've ever known her to be, nothing she has done or said has been in an attempt to deceive anyone but to get away from a very toxic environment."

"I understand that."

"There are a lot of things I can tell you, and a lot of things you need to hear; but most of these things have to come from her." He nodded once more, agreeing with every word Gary said. "You made the decision to stand by her through it all when you married her. If it takes her a day, a month, a year or a decade to tell you everything…so be it…you stand by her side because that's what you do."

"I know. I was scared." Martin sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hand through his hair. "I made a snap judgment that I shouldn't have. I just…she has every right to slam that door in my face when I get to her."

"And she won't. You know why?" Gary leaned forward and Martin raised his head, pursing his lips and furrowing his brow. "Because she loves you, because she needs you." Gary motioned with his finger and narrowed his eyes. "Now her dad, on the other hand, is another story altogether." A sense of fear struck him and his shoulders fell like a mountain collapsing.

"Oh? He's tough?"

"You think I'm a grouch? Yeah, I'm a grouch from time to time, and I've got a pretty swift temper…but the storm that starts up when I get angry or protective of someone I care about looks like a tiny drizzle compared to him." Martin laced his fingers together and Gary shook his head. "To David, his daughter is his entire world. Even if he hasn't shown it, she's everything to him. He's always been proud of her, always wanted to see her happy and successful."

"Right."

"To him, right now, you are the one that hurt his daughter thanks to your foolish running away. He'll think of you as weak and unworthy, unless you step up and prove to him that you are everything Trina says about you." Gary folded his arms and hummed. "I can guarantee you she's told him everything about you by now." Gary raised his hand and poked his thumb into his chest. "I'm the dad you want to have fun with, I'm the easier father to please. David's been through a lot worse, so he's a lot tougher. He'll judge your every move if he has to."

Carol smacked her husband's arm, causing him to flinch. "Stop it, Gary. You're scaring the poor boy." Martin chuckled nervously as Carol walked over and leaned towards him. "Ignore him, Martin. David's not that bad, he knows when to step aside. Trina's his daughter, he loves her and will always want to protect her, so just show him you're going to be a good husband for her."

"I think my first impression didn't go over well."

"No it did not," Gary replied, "David thinks you're weak and spineless." Martin's jaw fell open and he started to groan. "He'll test you. You might not know it when he does, but oh he will. He and I want the same thing for her when it comes to marriage, that she has a husband who is strong and supportive. Someone that will love her no matter what, and will stand by her, holding her when she needs someone to hold her…the way you've been acting? You haven't been that person at all, but I know you can be. Why? Because I've _seen_ it. David hasn't, and he will push if he doesn't think you're good enough."

"No he won't," Carol replied. "He'll just…" Carol's eyes moved sideways and the woman started sigh. "Constantly judge you, possibly glare at you and not approve of you at all."

Seemingly triumphant, Gary chuckled and put a strong hand on Martin's trembling shoulder. "Like I said earlier. Trina won't slam the door in your face, but David might."

"I don't care, I just want to see my wife."

"Then go be with her. She needs you, especially now." Martin closed his suitcase and stood up. "There's a reason she's with you, a reason she loves you. There was one guy she could have ended up with, but he had to move to another state and she couldn't bring herself to go with him." Martin jerked his head back, stunned by the news. "But if it was you, she'd go to the ends of the earth for. Keep that in mind and think about that next time you go wondering if she's ever lied to you."

"I know, I know…"

"I'll keep repeating myself if I have to, until it's embedded in your brain. She's always had a difficult time trusting you. Now her past life, that's not a matter of her not trusting you, Martin, that's something else entirely." Gary poked a finger at him, narrowing his eyes.

"That's her being afraid to talk about it. That's her not yet accepting or moving on from the things she's been through. That's where you should have supported her the most, and when it all came to light, you ran. Remember that, because that's what her father is going to see, that moment of weakness is what hurt Trina, and that's what we saw…that when you should have been at your strongest, you weren't. You had one job, be there for her at her weakest moment, and you didn't do that. That's what everyone sees."

He knew when he screwed up, and he knew where. The moment Trina needed him most, he wasn't there. Even if he was there now, they'd all remember how he messed up. "What would you suggest I do, Gary?"

"Stand your ground and show you will be there for your wife. I'm sure David will push a bit, stand firm and try not to be combative. He knows you have every right to be with your wife, so he's not truly going to stand in your way, but he'll probably want to see how far you can be pushed…"

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

Martin took the long journey to LA, practicing the words he could say. No amount of preparation could stop the nervous sweating or trembling of his hands, however.

When he arrived at the house Gary said he'd find David and Trina, he took a deep breath and held it for a great while. His eyes remained frozen on the door and the open window beside it. For a moment, he thought he saw the back of Trina's head at the window.

He stepped out of the jeep and made his way towards the door. Just before he made it to the porch, the door opened and David stepped outside. Martin's breath caught in his throat as the man stood like a mountain between him and the door. "What are you doing here?" David asked, as though he didn't know already.

"I want to see my wife," he stammered. David crossed his arms and Martin could feel the man's narrow eyes searching him-judging him. "I want to talk to her."

"After all this time ignoring her calls? Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you." David tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. His words stung, and Martin felt his heart beginning to drop. "You hurt my daughter, ignored her calls, and now you want to talk to her on your time?"

"It's not like that." He closed his hands and swallowed the knot in my throat. "She's my wife and I love her. I screwed up, I was wrong, and I'm only here to beg her forgiveness." His eyes drifted to the window and he saw Trina's head turn a bit. His lips curved into a tiny smile and the nervous tremor started to slow. "I'd like to take her on a date."

"A date? Do you know how busy she is right now?" Martin glanced back at the man. "Where are you staying?"

"Some motel…"

"You are not taking her to a motel."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Listen, please, I know I screwed up and I know you're protecting her. I am not going to hurt her again, but I need to talk to her. She's my wife and I love her very much. You're her dad, you love her too. We both want the same thing, to see she's happy, and right now I'm the one that caused her pain, and I want to fix that."

The tension in David's face started to soften, and the man's nostrils opened up a bit. "Listen to me Martin, and you listen well." Martin opened his eyes partially, remaining calm and silent. "My daughter is an intelligent, beautiful and strong woman. She could have had any man that she wanted, and she chose you."

Martin's eyes quivered and his heart began to flicker. "You hear me? She chose _you_. A shy, nerdy, skinny man reading a textbook on a park bench. Why? Because you made her smile, you made her laugh. You treated her right and made her feel something she hadn't felt in a very long time. She was happy, safe and secure, so she chose you. You didn't get to pick her, it didn't happen that way. I want you to bear that in mind."

"I understand, sir."

"She still wants you, she still needs you and loves you." David took a small step towards Martin, his shadow falling across the man in ominous form. "But if you ever hurt her, make her cry or do something incredibly stupid like your most recent stunt…I will see to it you feel as much pain, if not more, than the pain that you put her through. Are we clear?"

Seeing the seriousness in the man struck an odd kind of fear in his heart. "Crystal." He nodded once and brought his hand to his chest, feeling the rapid palpitations of his heart.

"You stood your ground, which I applaud, but I still think you're weak. I don't have a high opinion of you right now, but Trina clearly does…Treat her well and be a good husband to her, and we won't have any problems."

"Well, I hope that you'll see that I will be a good husband and that your opinion of me can improve…"

"It's not me you have to worry about." David leaned back and twisted to the door. "Trina, you have a visitor!"

"I know." Trina's voice radiated from inside, filling Martin with a sense of relief and euphoria. When she appeared in the door, he nearly screamed for joy. "Jesus Dad, could you try not to scare the shit out of my husband for the hell of it? I'm not a teenager anymore and this is a little more than a boyfriend."

David shrugged and grunted in reply. "Well. He needs to know where I stand as your father." Trina rolled her eyes and sighed as David made his way into the house. Martin's smile faded when David's face appeared behind Trina, and his watchful eyes peered out at Martin. "I'll be watching you, Marty boy."

Trina cleared her throat and shut the door behind her. "Damn, both my dads are protective as shit. I can't even be angry at you." Trina stepped forward, looking him in the eyes.

He could see the pain in them, hidden behind the tears welling up. Her lips started to quiver. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry I left you behind like that. "I love you, and I never meant to hurt you. I was confused, I was stupid."

"Yeah, you were, but you're here now…" Trina looked over her shoulder and Martin followed her gaze, feeling his blood run cold as he saw David standing in the window. At the same time, Trina's cell phone was going off to the ringtone she'd set for Gary. "We're never going to get to talk here." Her expression fell flat and she turned back to him. "You said something about a date?" She turned her cell phone off. "Let's go. Anything to escape my two dads…"

* * *

So we have that. What are your thoughts on this chapter? It's an interesting concept but you can see how Trina may view Gary like a father as well. He was a true father figure. Looks like both had quite a bit to say to Martin, now he's gotta mend things with the wife.


	15. For the Love of a Husband

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 15 (For the love of a husband)

Though she was letting him lead, he didn't know the area so much and so Trina guided him to a nice quiet spot away from the city lights and noise of the traffic. "I'm not too fond of the city," Martin admitted once they made their way to a grassy area. Trina chuckled softly.

"Yeah. Ten years in a small town and I feel more at home there too." Where they lived was a small suburban town with the elderly community of Oasis Canyon twenty minutes north of them. "Maybe once my dad retires, I can get him to move out to Oasis..." Martin raised an eyebrow and started to laugh.

"He doesn't seem like 'retired community' type."

"He's not. Hell, the man's just as stubborn as Gary is. The minute he settles there, he'd be wanting to do something." She laid out the blanket on the grass and smirked. "I'd get him to join the SST. Let Commander Chapman deal with both of my fathers." Martin sat on the blanket and snickered.

"I can only imagine the look on her face with those two."

"Yeah. Out of my hair and in hers." She sat beside him and leaned back, using her arms behind her to prop herself up. She looked at Martin and smiled sadly. "I really missed you, Martin…I was so afraid you were going to leave me. I don't know what I would have done."

"I couldn't leave you. I can't imagine my life without you." She closed her eyes and breathed in. "I thought maybe we could start over."

"Oh?" She looked at the picnic basket and started to grin, suspecting what he might have packed. "Martin. Are you recreating our first date?" She looked at him with slanted eyes and her heart started to flutter as he reached into the basket.

"Well…" He removed a bag of chocolate raisins. "I wasn't really sure how to do this, so I wanted to start off with a never failed tradition raisins." She chuckled softly and watched him remove a two liter bottle of Sunkist. "Orange soda."

"Mm-hmm."

"And of course." He raised an index finger and lifted his eyebrows while reaching in with his other hand to grab the next item. "A bag of popcorn." Trina took the popcorn in hand, an her heart began to swell. "Now, I added something else too." She leaned forward, her eager gaze drifting towards the basket. "I know you're not much of a 'chocolate and flowers apology' type, but I decided to try with these." He removed a bouquet of roses, safely wrapped and handed them over.

"Oh, Martin…" She closed her eyes and smelled the roses, taking in the fresh scent. Whether or not she cared for flowers, she still loved the gesture of roses.

"And this, because I know you like gazing at the different makes and models." She hummed and her eyes lit up as he removed a booklet from the basket. The booklet was an information book with descriptions and images of cop vehicles and various guns.

Trina set the roses down carefully, then grabbed the book away from her husband. "Oh I love it!" She flipped it over, glancing down at the page she opened up to. It had a picture of a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, 9mm. She furrowed her brow and started to hum as Martin pointed to it.

"That's the gun that one guy had." He frowned and dipped his eyes down shamefully as Trina looked at him.

"Who?"

"This guy in a glass company truck that stopped on the road behind our range. He saw me shooting and stopped to fire a few rounds. That's the gun he had." Trina took a deep breath and held it. She felt a strained feeling in her throat and a tightness in her chest. "He actually had a pretty good aim for someone that said he's only a casual shooter. He seemed like he practiced."

"Beck. Beck Oliver."

"Yeah." Trina's heart sank as she closed the book and remembered Jade's text message. "He got me drunk, tried to get me to cheat on you with his cousin." She closed her eyes and her hands started to tremble.

"And did you?" She loved him for his honesty, and wanted to hear in his own words what happened rather than leaving it all to Jade's text message.

"No." She smiled. "I couldn't do that to you. It wasn't even a consideration. That woman put her hand on mine, started touching my arm, and I pushed her away." Trina gasped softly and raised her hand over her mouth. "I love you Trina, and I'd already hurt you once, I couldn't hurt you again."

She leaned into him, sliding her arms along his neck. "I love you." She kissed his lips once and looked into his eyes. "Thank you for being honest. Just…please know I never meant to lie to you. Okay? I never wanted to hurt you, I was just scared…trying to avoid and keep what I put behind me behind."

"Yeah, I understand that now. We can talk about it whenever you're ready, we don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to." She admired him for respecting her, but there was no sense in keeping things hidden when it was all out in the open now.

"We kind of do." Considering Beck talked to him, she couldn't imagine the horror stories that man could have filled her husband with. "Beck approached you, he knew you were my husband. He told you things, I'm sure…"

"Yeah." Martin rubbed his neck and sighed. "I also went to this performance being done by a traveling family. They knew you too." She furrowed her brow and felt a rush of fear clasp around her. "Robbie and Cat." Her hand moved to her chest and relief washed away the fear.

"God, okay, they can't be that bad."

"No, they told me everything Beck said was a lie. They told me a lot."

"Did they tell you how Beck and his current wife were always harassing me back in the day?" Martin closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Did they tell you they were also guilty of the same things?"

"More or less. They said you went through a lot of pain, and told me what an idiot I was being. They were right, I was being an idiot."

"You were, but that's water under the bridge…I just want to be with you." She put her hand in his and leaned her head against his chest. "I need you. Especially now."

"I'm here for you," he whispered. He moved an arm around her, holding her close, and kissed the top of her head. "Gary told me you're working a homicide, but not much about it."

"It's my mom. My sister." She looked straight ahead at the trees and grass in front of them. Trina focused on the feeling of Martin's chest rising and falling. "Mom was murdered, along with one of Tori's friends."

"Oh my god."

"Tori's in a coma. Her other friend survived. That's what's going on right now. I'm helping my dad find out who did it." She moved her arms around his waist and closed her eyes. "I'm scared Tori won't make it. She did and said a lot of bad things, but she's still my sister. I still love her."

He squeezed her gently, his warmth comforted and relieved her enough to will herself to doze off on his chest for just a minute or two. As her mind wandered, she thought about all the events that brought her to where she was.

Ned and Wallace came to mind and her eyelids slowly rose up as the muscles in her body started to tense. Martin looked down at her, running his hand along her upper arm. "You okay?" Trina stared at a blade of grass, tracing the center line with her eyes.

"No."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She raised her head and looked into his concerned expression. "But I need to." She took a deep breath and her fingers started to tremble. "When I was a little girl, twelve years old, Dad and I went to visit my grandparents…" Martin's brow tensed and he nodded once. "These guys break in and tie my Dad up. They were criminals he helped put away."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to focus on the soothing sweeping of Martin's hand. "They killed my grandparents and started beating me, throwing me around and strangling me." Her voice became strained and choked up as she tried in vain to speak normally without breaking into sobbing fits. Martin's eyes grew large and his mouth opened up. "They were going to kill me too, but the police came. Sometimes I wish they had, but nowadays I'm glad I survived."

Martin leaned forward, hugging her tight. She started to smile, knowing she was safe with him. "I was terrified telling anyone that would make them shy away or look at me different."

"Not me," Martin said, "If anything I love you more."

"I love you." She hugged him and buried her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my life before. I was scared. That incident made my family look at me differently. Tori accused me of using Grandma and Grandpa's death to garner sympathy for myself, because she was too young to know how involved I was. Dad just felt guilty and ashamed, and I'm not sure mom knew how to approach us."

She took a deep breath and turned her gaze up to him. "I had to leave them because it was just too toxic. Tori's friends took their shots at me, Tori joined them. Dad stayed away because of guilt, and mom just became indifferent. I should have just told you, but I didn't want you to think I was damaged goods or something…"

"I couldn't think that." Martin pushed his hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. "You're not. You're a lot stronger."

She wiped her eyes and laid down on top of his legs, gazing up at him with a new playful smirk. "So that girl…Beck's cousin?" Martin's eyebrows rose and he groaned softly. "Was she pretty?"

He let out a soft chuckle and caressed her cheek, using his thumb to slide a long strand of hair out of her face. "I don't know, you're the only beautiful woman I've seen in a long time. No one's as lovely as you." Her heart skipped and she shook her head, smirking further.

"I'll bet she was pretty. Prettier than me."

"Not even close."

"Ooh keep talking." He leaned over, kissing her lips. "I like hearing you tell me how beautiful I am." She smirked and wagged her eyebrows. "I know that girl was probably attractive, you don't have to deny it. I'm just glad you didn't cheat on me…"

"You're the only woman I want in my life, the only one I need. I don't need to be tested to know I'll stay true to you, there is and never will be another."

"I love you." Her heart skipped a beat and she leaned up, kissing his lips. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about my past."

"It's okay. I understand." Martin tilted his head and looked up towards the sky. "You know what? I wanted to ask you something else too. While we're being completely honest about who we are…"

"What?"

"Would you like to renew our vows?" Her heart burst and she let out a surprised and excited gasp, lurching forward. He leaned back, pushing his hands behind him and looking at her full of love. "So you know, I love all of you and everything about you." She moved her hands over her mouth and her eyes began to glisten with fresh tears. "Past, present, and future."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing; it was a proposal though not in the same way. "Like another celebration and all?"

"With your whole family even, if you want."

"What's got you thinking this?"

"Oh, you know." He grinned and moved his eyes upwards as he recited a line she gave him some time ago. "I just got this feeling that all our dreams are coming true." Trina giggled and playfully smacked his arm.

"Copy-cat." She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "God yes. We should do a ceremony, have both of my dads there, Dad would love it."

"Would you?"

"Yes, yes, a million times yes!" She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him wildly.

* * *

Well they've got some stuff to work on sure, but at least he's going to be the husband he needs to be.


	16. Prime Suspect

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (Prime Suspect)

"So you weren't joking when you told him not to take me to a motel?" Trina smirked at her father as he drove the car towards their newest destination. David shrugged and glanced sideways.

"You have a place to stay, and the motels around here are shitty."

"But you're not letting him stay with us? He is my husband." She had a greater outlook now that Martin was here, but it did suck her dad didn't want to let the guy stay for a while. Granted, her bedroom was right next to his, so David didn't want any late-night noises startling or bothering him. "You know I'll just go to his motel room anyway; and if you let him stay with us, you get to keep an eye on him."

David raised a hand and cleared his throat. "If Martin wants to stay in a room where a gambler was murdered last year, that's entirely up to him." Her eyes widened and she snapped her eyes over to him.

"What?"

He laughed. "I'm kidding." She hummed and sank in her seat as her father casually looked across to his left. "The gambler was murdered a floor above that room." Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms and caught a glimpse of an apartment.

"There. Andre's place." She felt a sudden rush in her stomach as they pulled up to the place, she couldn't figure if it was nerves or something else. "What are we looking for here?" David stopped at the curb and shifted the car into park.

"Anything to tie Andre to someone on our suspect list. That includes Beck." Beck was far from the _prime suspect_ at this point, but he was one of the strongest leads. He couldn't be considered a prime suspect simply because he tried to fuck with her marriage-especially considering the history that existed between Beck and herself. Any lawyer could accuse her of being emotionally charged. "I want to know which of us is the lead detective on this…I've figured it's been you."

"Technically it is me, but I've been handing all evidence to my superior. So anything we derive should be the same that he does."

"Ah, I see."

They made their way into the house, and the moment they did, she felt a rush of cold air. The house was dark and silent, eerily so. "What's this?" She lifted a framed photograph of a man and two young boys. "Andre had relatives besides his grandmother?" David leaned in and frowned.

"Ah yes. His father and two brothers. You never knew? Andre went by his mother's and maternal grandmother's name. He was too young to remember the tragedy…His dad and brothers died in a tragic fire-arson case."

"Arson?"

"Yep. A serial arsonist bombed the townhome." Her heart sank and she looked at the family while shaking her head. "Mom went crazy after that, left Andre with her mother and drowned herself in the lake." David blinked twice, shuddering once. "What was truly eerie was how she went out."

"How?"

"She put on 'Goodnight Irene', and made her way to the center of the lake." It was horrible news. She couldn't imagine how Andre must have felt when he would have learned about the tragedy of the family.

David crossed his arms and Trina set the photograph back in its place. "His grandmother used to say the family was cursed by some voodoo priest her husband pissed off. Her husband was killed in the late 1970s, and so far aside from her daughter, everyone in her family was murdered…"

"I don't believe in curses." She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "But it looks like it ends with Andre."

"Yeah. Not quite, but let's hope."

They didn't find a lot at Andre's apartment aside from camera equipment and the name of a woman. It turned out this was a woman he met recently and started to legitimately date as a result of this open relationship between him and Tori.

She wound up pregnant with his child. Learning this was devastating news to Trina, but even harder was having to notify the woman. An act she'd never done before, and one David said never got any easier. It was a shame that investigators never found her before.

She was unfortunately HIV positive, but was taking enough medication to hopefully allow the birth of her coming child to be free of the disease.

"It's horrible," Trina said as they drove to their next stop, "That poor woman. Her baby will never know its dad." The woman said she never met Tori, but that Andre was slowly weeding himself out of the life of porn. "I wish we'd found something more…"

"Sometimes it's a hit or miss."

Their next stop was even harder; it was Tori's apartment. The ceiling fan was still going in the living expansive living room, which was lit by the sunlight shining through the large glass windows. "I've always wondered how she afforded this place," David said with a choked voice.

Trina made her way to the marble countertop in the kitchen and looked out across the tiled floor. It was an expensive place for sure, and Tori seemed to be able to pay rent.

They combed the place, bringing Trina to tears the more she looked around. Tori had several files and folders, some mentioning a woman by the name of 'Mystique' that tried a three-way with her and Andre a little over seven months ago. "This might be our mystery girl," Trina said while handing the paper to her father. David ran his hand along his chin and narrowed his eyes, studying the page closely.

"Perhaps."

Trina made her way through the apartment, sliding her gloved fingers along each piece of furniture as she gazed at the walls. There were framed photos all along them of Tori's childhood, and in many of them, was her older sister. Seeing these made Trina's heart ache, more with each she passed.

There was one that stood out to her, gripping her heart tight and reeling her in. It was an enlarged photo that sat just above a large bookshelf. In the photograph, two children played upon monkey bars at a park that had long since been taken down. In it, Trina hung like a monkey on one end of the bars and extended her arm, coaxing her little sister across.

David stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That was the first time she went across those bars, wasn't it?" Trina nodded and looked up at him with a mournful smile. "Ever since then, she's always been adventurous. Wanting to try new things and seeing how far she could go…she always said you inspired her. She loved you, Trina, even though she couldn't show it when she got older."

"I want so badly to find who could have done this to her." Trina clenched her fists and sniffed. "God I hate this." She leaned against the side of the bookshelf and closed her eyes, taking slow and deep breaths to keep from crying.

When she felt a nudge, her eyes shot open and she let out a shout as her body and the bookshelf moved sideways. "Holy shit." David's eyes grew wide and Trina was stunned to see a doorway behind the shelves. "She's got a room closed off…"

"I wonder why…"

"Let's find out." Moving in, Trina was stunned to see a much darker scene. The walls were painted black, and at the far end of the wall was a black book bound with leather. The pages were crisp and pale, and a pink ribbon hung from the pages.

Trina opened it and was shocked to find a series of ranting. It started out nice: "To my sister, I love you and I'm sorry", but after that the writing became filled with rage and venom. Tori blamed more than just herself for the separation of her family-she accused her friends and even the men that slaughtered her grandparents.

Trina's hand trembled over her mouth as she read over Tori's heated desire for revenge.

 _"He infected me, that boy I dated in college. Before Andre, after Danny. I hate him. I hate him for what he did to me. I got him to go to jail, accused him of assault…"_

She gasped and clutched her throat. "Oh Tori, no."

David's brow tensed and he walked over, shaking like a leaf. His eyes read over the words of the next few pages, and he looked as pale as a white sheet.

" _I found him. The man that tore my family apart. He's in the same prison as my ex. My ex wanted me to forgive him, so I had him do something for me. I had him crush that man's hands…"_

"Trina." Trina craned her neck and saw David holding an orange pill bottle. Her forehead tensed and she read the prescription. "Videx. It's prescribed to HIV users…she knew she had it."

"What do we do, Dad?" She didn't know what all this meant. Tori knew she had it, she knew she was infecting people in her porn shoots too. "She was angry."

"Yeah, angry at the world apparently…We have to take this stuff in."

"But there's nothing that points to the investigation, right?"

"We don't know that." He was right. There was always a chance someone caught wind of what she was doing, but Trina didn't know what that could mean for her sister if she ever woke up. "She would have known she infected Andre. She would have known those porn stars were infected…"

Several firms had turned her down, and according to Tori's diary, she wanted to find a way to lie because she genuinely was intrigued by porn. She started webcams and never told anyone that worked with her that she was infected, and in the diary she confirmed that she never told them.

"Could criminal charges be brought against her, Dad?" She tensed as her father looked down at the pill bottle. His eyes closed and he let out a sigh.

"I don't know. It's unrelated to the investigation. I suspect unless someone brings up the matter or tries to press charges, then she's liable…"

''I-I can't believe this. I can't believe any of this."

"She was angry."

"I know. I just…" Her eyes drifted to the book and her blood ran cold as she read the last of the entries.

 _"He knows. She told us he knows. She had a medical exam. She wanted to try something new, so we did. I didn't think I'd feel anything. I did. I hope she knows what was felt was real but now it's over. It's all over, the jig is up…"_

"That's a little cryptic. I wish she would have given names." Nowhere in the diary had Tori mentioned a name, which left identification vague enough that lawyers could easily suggest alternatives.

"There's only one other place left to go to now, Trina…I suggest not worrying about the things your sister's written down for now. Chances are nothing will come of this."

"God…"

Their next stop, though difficult, would be easier than the last as far as she were concerned. The Oliver's lived well, in a two story home with windows that glistened in the sun.

To her, it didn't look like the home of a suspected murderer, but the home of a king and queen. She had to ignore the fact that Beck approached her husband, but at the same time, he was to know this made him a suspect in their investigation.

"Ah Detectives!" Beck flashed a toothy grin as his head poked out the opening of his door. Trina's eyebrows dipped down in the center and her nostrils started to flare. "How can I help you?" David cleared his throat and glanced over as Trina stepped forward.

"We would like to look around." They had a warrant ready, but didn't think it would be necessary. Beck frowned and opened the door further.

"Certainly, if you must."

"Thank you," David replied gruffly. The man pushed past Beck. Trina walked alongside Beck and glanced at him.

"You should be made aware, Beck…your visit to an investigator's relative puts you on the police radar." Beck furrowed his brow and his smile faded in an instant. There was a great deal she wanted to say and do to him, but she had to be careful. Anything could be considered 'police brutality' in this case. Even now, if she were able to punch him in the jaw, she would. "It's unwise to behave in such a way."

"I don't see how that makes me a suspect in what happened to your sister, Detective Skopic…It is 'Detective', isn't it? Or is it _Deputy?"_

"Deputy is my official title…" She looked around the large, open living room and grunted. "Where is Mrs. Oliver?"

"In the dining area."

"How is she doing?"

"Still can't remember a damn thing."

"So you say." Trina pressed forward, shrugging as she made her way into the dining room. It was large as well, ready with a long oak table. Jade was resting at the end of the table, with a china cabinet behind her. On top of the cabinet was a blue vase. "Jade, hello."

Jade looked up, gasping softly. "Trina." Trina raised an eyebrow and walked towards the girl. "How can I help you?"

"Have you remembered anything else about the case, Jade? Anything about Tori, Andre?"

"Um…" Jade looked to the doorway and Trina turned around, groaning when she saw Beck leaning against the frame. His eyes were sharp and narrow, and his lips were twisted into a snarl. "I don't really remember them."

"Why are you pressuring her?" Beck inquired. "It's too painful for her."

"Is it?" She wondered how much Jade remembered, or if she'd truly forgotten anything. Trina turned to Beck, narrowing her eyes. "Do you think you could give me a moment with your wife, Mr. Oliver?" Beck shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. Take all the time you need."

"Beck!" David called from the other room. Beck let out a grunt and twisted around. "I've got a question for you."

Once the man left, Jade set a few notebooks down on the table. "Look," Jade whispered, "Stories…" Raising an eyebrow, Trina picked up one of the notebooks.

"You're still writing, Jade?" the girl remained silent, so she opened the notebook and began reading.

The first novel was about a woman that was bored of the same dull routine.

 _So she sought an old friend. She'd never been with a woman before, but this was an experiment. She craved the feeling of a man yet, but couldn't deny the passion of another woman's touch to her precious spot below…_

Surprised to be reading erotica written by Jade, Trina skimmed through multiple paragraphs.

 _Ever daring to push her boundaries, she tried something never done before. A three-way. She had the man's touch that she craved, taking deep pleasure in the length of his piece inside of her while that woman proceeded to fondle her._

Trina cupped her mouth and looked at Jade with surprise. She wasn't sure how to respond, or even certain if Jade was writing about herself or making this up. "Jade, what's inspired these novels? Do you know?"

"I don't remember." Jade began fretting and ran her hands along the wheels of her wheelchair, backing into the china cabinet. Trina turned to see Beck and David in the doorway, watching. "I can't remember anything."

The woman struck the china cabinet again, causing the blue vase to shake. Trina's eyes widened and she hurried forward, hoping to catch the vase as it toppled over.

It fell through her hands and shattered on the floor, causing everything in the room to stop. Trina held her breath and looked down, seeing the very gun mentioned by Martin as being used by Beck.

She reached down and picked it up gently, turning her head to look at Beck. "Well, well, well…" Beck raised his hand to his forehead and sighed as David slapped his hand onto Beck's shoulder. "What is this you're hiding, Mr. Oliver?"

"It's a gun," Beck replied, "I keep it for protection. We need it a lot more now after what happened to Jade."

"You don't mind if we take this in, do you?" She knew it could be evidence. There was a chance it was the murder weapon, so she would need to run ballistics on this.

Beck crossed his arms and groaned. If he said no, it would look bad. Trina knew he realized this. "Do what you want, but I don't think you'll find anything."

"Oh don't worry." She bagged it and flashed a smile. "We'll see what comes up. Thank you for your cooperation…"

"Sure."

Leaving the house, things were quiet until they got halfway to the department. "I found something," David said. Trina looked up to him, eager to hear what he might have found. "Some medical records on file in Beck's office."

"Oh?"

"He had an appointment about five months ago. Blood donors wouldn't allow him to donate." Her heart stopped and she leaned forward, raising her eyebrows. "He was tested for HIV…"

"Shit."

* * *

So much in this chapter. What are your thoughts? Observations? Do tell.


	17. Face the Past

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 17 (Face the Past)

The area had an obscene metallic smell that filled Trina with an unsettled feeling. As she followed the uniformed man in front of her, she felt a strange swishing in her gut. Her heart was beating so fast like she'd never felt and every fiber of her body was pulsing with a sense of nervousness.

The guard set her down in front of a countertop with a glass window in front of her. When she looked through to the other side, she saw the door to the other room open. A lump formed in her throat as she saw a man in an orange jumpsuit being guided into the room.

This man had a bald head and pale blue eyes that were framed by off-color spotting. His hands hung loosely at his waist, his fingers tangled like loose vines or an elder cursed by arthritis. His once muscular frame had depleted after nearly two decades, giving him the appearance of a man who had eaten very little.

The man sat on the other side of the window and waited as the guard reached for the black receiver on his end. Trina felt a rush of nausea and tried to swallow it down. Her trembling hand lifted the receiver on her end and she brought it to her ears.

"They said I had a visitor," the man stated with a plain voice that sent slivers of terror through her. "I haven't had a visitor in ages." He tilted his head and groaned softly. "I'm sorry I can't see you, so you'll have to identify yourself for me."

For years she wished something would have happened to these two men, but those were only angered thoughts. Now she pitied him, and felt a strain of guilt because her sister was involved in what happened to him-something that would have been her worst nightmare.

"Trina," she replied in a shaky tone, "David Vega's daughter…" The man's brow wrinkled and his lips fell into a frown. "You remember my dad? You remember me? Do you have any idea what pain you caused that night?" She didn't want to cause trouble. Merely she wanted to find out why he had done what he had.

The man tensed and his eyes squinted. "I do remember you. I haven't gotten you out of my head for the last two decades almost." She jerked her head back and raised her eyebrows. "I wish I could see you, but I've been blinded for a few years now."

"I know…I know about that." She bowed her head and shut her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault."

"I don't know about that."

"It isn't. Listen…you needn't apologize." The man took a deep breath and pushed his hands forward on the counter. "The bones in my hands were shattered and I couldn't afford surgery. I can't hold this phone, you understand, but I know I've earned this punishment."

Trina couldn't muster the hatred anymore, as much as she wanted to. "It's been eighteen years. What you did to me still affects me, every day. I-I wanted you to know that."

Wallace bowed his head, his face tensed and his lips separated an inch. "I know." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know if there's anything I could say that would be consolation enough." She was holding her breath, trembling from the mix of emotions creating a storm within her. "What happened that night…I was doing what Ned said, mainly, but I know…I know it wasn't right. You were-how old?"

"Twelve. I was twelve."

"So young." He opened his eyes partially and looked up. She could see the mist forming in them, and was uncertain what to make of this strange gesture. "Sorry means so little, I know." She could see he regretted what took place-and it was of little comfort. Still, she needed to know he regretted what he did. "I can't give you excuses or reasonings, I can only say what happened that night was wrong and I'm sorry. I wish I had been in a better place that night."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she could feel her heart stopping for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat and she raised her hand over her mouth, gasping softly as the memory played out in her head. "Why? Why were you even able to do that? That night, to a little girl? Why? I-I don't understand."

"Do you want excuses? Will any reason I give be good enough for you?"

"Just help me understand." Her chest ached and she coughed out the breath she had been holding. "Please. That's all." Wallace nodded his head and waited as the officer adjusted the phone.

"We were angry, we wanted revenge. I followed, not really caring about what he ordered me to do. Killing that older couple, beating you, I just distanced myself. I made myself not care about how it would affect anyone-all I cared about was inflicting as much pain on your father as possible."

It hurt to hear the words, but for the first time in her life she truly understood. This man was following orders, and following his own lust for revenge. The ironic twist of fate led to her sister causing his broken state. "I see. You didn't even think about long term."

"No. If I could take anything back at all, it would be that night…If I could have told Ned I wasn't going to do that, I would have." Wallace breathed in slow and raised his wrist to his chin. "The problem is, the past can't be changed."

"It can't be."

"What do you do now?"

"I'm a Deputy for the Sheriff's office a couple hours from here." Wallace smiled and nodded once. "I'm married now, with a husband that cares the world for me."

"It sounds like you've made a good life for yourself."

"I've done the best I can."

"That's all any of us can do." A timid smile graced her and she shut her eyes, letting a tear roll down the side of her face. "What we did to you, there's nothing I can say to make it right. It was horrible, but it sounds like you've done the best you can to move past it. I wish I hadn't done that to you, I don't know the words to say…"

In her heart, she forgave him. As difficult as it was, she couldn't hold it against him any longer. "It's not okay what you did." Her fingers trembled and she choked out her words as Wallace frowned. "It will never be okay what you did." He nodded and she placed a hand over her stomach. "But I forgive you."

His eyebrows shot up and his jaw fell agape. "I'm sorry?" He shook his head slowly and furrowed his brow. "You forgive me?"

"Yes." Forgiveness wasn't saying that it was okay when someone wronged someone, but that she wasn't going to let it rule her any longer. She needed to live her life, and wasn't going to let the past haunt her anymore. "I forgive you."

Wallace's eyes grew large and he began to shake. Trina's voice grew course and trembled. "I don't want to hold onto that pain anymore. I don't want to let it keep me from living my life. I can't. I won't."

"I don't know what to say. I-I'm thankful and glad you're able to move forward. I know also, as much as I want to put all the blame on Ned, I can't. I'm just as responsible for my own actions."

"I've had to live with those actions." A wrinkle popped up between her eyebrows and she leaned forward, holding back the pain that made her want to lose control. "Those actions tore us apart. Destroyed my entire family. They treated me like I'd done something wrong, ignored me and belittled me. Me. Your victim. I could never have a normal childhood after that. You aren't the same person when you go through something like that."

Wallace bowed his head and breathed slow, listening as she continued. "My dad became distant, sister too young to understand I wasn't trying to take attention away from my grandparents being murdered. I left my entire family behind because they didn't accept me, and now I come back to find they've been murdered." Her breathing trembled and the man's eyebrows shot up. "Once again, it's just my dad and myself…left to witness and piece together everything."

She steeled herself. The skin around her lips and eyes tensed and her hands closed tight. "But I'm stronger now. I tried to keep everything dead and buried, but I can't. Knowing that, I realize that while it will always affect me-it can't control me. It can't stop me. You and Ned can't hurt me anymore, can't hurt my dad. We're stronger now than we've ever been."

"I'm glad."

"It won't hold me back anymore." She took a deep breath and studied him close. He was hunched over, shaking like a leaf. Sweat was sliding down the side of his head. "What happened to you was wrong as well."

"I deserved what happened to me."

"Nobody deserves something like that. I didn't deserve what you had done, but you didn't deserve what happened to you."

Streaks stained his cheeks where tears had fallen, and his mouth turned up into a tiny smile. "Thank you. I wish I could see, but I don't have to see how much you've overcome. Take that to heart, don't let the things you face in life hold you back…"

"Yeah. I won't." She looked down and slid a hand across her abdomen, sighing heavily. "I'll live. Survive." She raised her head and smiled back. "And I won't be afraid of what is behind me. Goodbye Wallace."

"Goodbye, and best of luck to you in life."

"Thank you," she replied shakily. After hanging up the phone, she watched as the guard walked Wallace away. Trina leaned forward, burying her head into her hands and crying silently for a moment. She slid her hands down, brushing away her tears and pushing her hair back. "God…"

Not long after, she went to the cemetery where her father was walking around. They met up in the left quadrant, walking down a path framed by flowers and overgrown grass. "You know," David began, "Many of the people buried here are victims that I've had to find justice for." Trina nodded slowly as David whisked his hand out to the side, pointing at a nearby grave. "Professor Todd Salome, killed in 2000 by one of his students."

She turned her head and locked her hands behind her back. David brushed his nose with his thumb, scoffing as he shook his head. "Then there's Wilma Prowler, stabbed twenty times in 2002 by her husband's ex-wife."

He cracked his neck to the right and looked down at a faded grave. "Or the very first homicide I ever worked on. Christmas 1989, Jonathan Greyson." Trina caught a tearful gleam in David's eyes as his mouth turned to a deep frown. They stared at the grave and she caught her breath in her throat. "Just fourteen years old, he wanted to be a football star, and all he wanted for Christmas was to have a signed jersey of 49ers quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young."

"How did he die?"

"Shot in the back by his mother." Trina closed her eyes, wincing at the visual. "His parents were going through a rough time and the father was building a strong enough case that the woman was afraid he'd be able to take their son away. Not without saying, Jonathan wanted to be with his father-that was his hero."

"You know so much about these people and their lives." It was astonishing, but not something she couldn't understand.

David raised his head and closed his hands firmly. "That's what happens. As a homicide detective, as a cop, you invest so much of your energy into the victims. They're close to your heart, you do everything you can to find justice, because sometimes you may be the only voice the victim has." He turned and looked sideways down the path they'd been walking from. "I know every person whose case I've worked on, and I could tell you everything about that case-about who they were, who their attacker was. They haunt me until I solve it."

"What were you doing here?"

"I come out to pay my respects from time to time." He turned and began walking back the way they came. Surprised, Trina followed after him. "Today was a little different."

They came upon a headstone, somewhat obscure and forgotten. On it read the name _Ned Tyler_. Trina opened her mouth partially and leaned her head back as a chill wind swept past her. David pushed his hands into his pockets and stared down at the grave.

"His family did everything they could to get his body buried over here. For a while I felt like he shouldn't be buried in this place. Your mother's going to be buried here, your grandparents are here, and even Ned's original victim…" David raised his right arm and pointed down a side path. "Is buried a few rows to the right of here."

He lowered his arm and stared down at the gravesite. "I was here, muddling over the questions I had no answers for. Trying to figure out what this person was thinking, when I realize he was nothing more than someone full of hot air. Hate, revenge, anger. Why should I allow that to continue to control me? I already let it take away so much."

Trina raised a hand, setting it gently on her dad's upper arm. "It's okay."

"It's not." He pulled away and started down the path. She followed in silence. "I forgave him. I'd let what happen distance me from people I care so much about, and now there's nothing left."

"You…have me, Dad." He paused, looking over his shoulder with a soft smile. She shrugged and smiled back. "I mean, I think maybe we've both been a little too focused on something we couldn't change." She rolled her head to the side and glanced out at the graves they passed. "Where do we go from here? Nowhere else but forward, I guess."

"Yeah." David blinked twice and stared at her with an arched brow. "Now what is this retirement community Martin said you and he were talking about putting me into?" Caught off guard, Trina chuckled nervously and flashed a grin.

"You've been talking to Martin?"

David grunted in reply. "I wanted to get to know the guy. He was trying to boost a retirement community and a volunteer agency for washed-up old people."

"The SST doesn't have age restrictions." David crossed his arms and he looked to her with a hum, not appearing to believe her in the slightest.

"Most of the volunteers are old, retired cops."

"Yes, but, you'd still be an active force in the community. Just think." She looked out across the field of graves and extended her arms out across them. "You've helped so many to get justice." He looked back at the graves with a sad smile and tired eyes. "Maybe it's time for you to close the books and rest. Maybe both of us can start to enjoy life again, somehow."

"Maybe…"

She dropped her arms and leaned into him, nudging him with her shoulder. "Hey. I got Gary to join the SST, you two can ride together." David let out an annoyed grunt as a smirk formed on her face. "I know Commander Chapman would just _love_ having the two of you running all over the place together."

"Ah yes, Martin told me about that woman. To hung up on her failed career to listen to you when you were finding evidence of a string of robberies." He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she sounds like a perfect little cupcake."

"Come on."

"I don't know, Trina, I'll think about it. Let's just figure this case out first." David let out a heavy sigh and swept his hands through his greying hair. "Maybe I am getting too old for this shit."

"Maybe it's time we put the past behind us. Who knows? You may want to settle down and spend some quality time with grandkids." David jerked his head back and blinked several times.

"What?" Trina's smirk grew and she laced her hands together while walking towards the gate. "Grandkids? Do you have kids?"

"Not yet. But it will happen." She stopped at the gate and turned to face him. A solemn expression fell across her face and she took a deep breath. "We have to let it go. We have to let everything go. If we're to survive, to live, we need to let go." David approached her and glanced over his shoulder. "You've done a lot of good work, I'm sure everyone buried here if they had their say, maybe they'd say it's time to let them rest for good."

David turned his head and Trina glanced down. "Including Ned and Wallace, we can put them to rest." He breathed in his surprise at her statement. She raised her shoulders and her eyebrows twitched. "We can't go forward if we're looking back, right? If we're focusing on the rearview, we'll crash. There's an open road in front of us, Dad, maybe we should focus on that."

"There's nowhere left to run, nowhere left to go…how did you get so wise?"

"Same as you, learned from experience and learned as I went." She pushed open the gate and stepped out. "Come on, let's get out of here." He nodded gently and followed her.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts here? Any opinions and observations?


	18. Pieces of the Puzzle

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Pieces of the Puzzle)

"My supervisor feels Beck may be our prime suspect on this case." David scratched his chin and looked to a large bulletin board. On it was a photo of Beck and the four victims. Trina was leaning backwards, gripping the edge of a small table as she studied the photos. "We've found a lot of circumstantial, however."

"We have a gun." Trina looked over her shoulder, studying a box and a manila folder stuffed with papers. "We have a file that states he was tested positive for HIV." She raised her hand, pointing at her dad. "You also found a pair of brass knuckles stuffed into a drawer."

"Yes, but that's circumstantial." David paced to the right and groaned. "Because of Jade's mental state right now, we can't do anything to her without Beck's permission. We can't interrogate her, we can't test her for HIV either."

"You think she has it?"

"If Beck has it, his wife might very well have it too." She hated to admit it, but David was right. There was no doubt Jade was HIV positive at this point, but the question was how did she contract it? "We know that Jade may have been looking for something on the side, so if she had an affair, it's possible she slept with someone that had HIV."

She hated what this suggested, because the thought that came to her mind was suggesting Jade slept with her sister. That fact enraged her, perhaps as much as Andre, because she never approved of either. "What about the books she'd written? She handed us those stories…"

"On one hand, they could be just that. Works of fiction." David tensed his brow and started to hum. "On the other hand, from day one it's felt like she's been trying to tell us something." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't like the idea that she could be the mystery girl, but again, without her own statement we have nothing that suggests she was sleeping with them. We have nothing that suggests she or her husband got HIV from our victims. Without the evidence, all of this is wild speculation."

"Yeah, and if Beck _is_ the person of interest, there's no way in hell he's going to let us talk to his wife."

"Especially not after that last stunt." Jade's slamming into the bookshelf may have appeared accidental, but Trina was questioning it when Jade looked over before backing up and then became incredibly calm after the vase shattered.

David's index finger ran slowly across his upper lip, and determination swelled in his eyes. "We need to find a way to talk to Jade."

"And isolate her." It was a problem she had; Beck was always at her side. "I don't believe this amnesia thing for a minute, either…it's just a feeling I have." She closed her shoulders and arched her back, sighing heavily. "When we first met her, she knew me in an instant."

"You noticed that as well?"

"Yeah." Studying Jade in the initial encounter, the woman was very responsive to her husband's statements. "She didn't look like she believed a thing Beck was saying about his back injury either."

"You don't believe he's got a back injury?"

"That, and if he did, he hasn't been able to produce a record of it."

"My supervisor has looked into the accident Beck claims to have been in, but has found no incident reports matching the account." Trina leaned her head back for a moment, then bowed it. Her shoulders fell and her heart started to sink.

"Unless we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Beck was in that room that night, we have nothing."

"He can walk with a really good attorney, but we also have to be certain it's him." It seemed like David's supervisor was doing just about as much work as they were, so she wanted to know what conclusion this man was drawing. "Before you go suggesting Beck is our primary, we have to be sure you don't let your personal feelings get in the way…especially after his confrontation with your husband."

"I know. Your supervisor seems to be doing just as much work, what do they say?"

"He's starting to draw on the possibility of Beck being the guy. He just needs to find a way to prove it. We have to prove Beck has the motive, the ability and the means." David took a deep breath and lowered his hand. "Even if ballistics come back a match on that gun, we have to prove he fired it."

"His alibi isn't so strong. At home, nursing a headache, while his wife was with her friends."

"Right. It's an easy alibi to discredit and a hard one to prove."

Their next step was to visit the blood donation clinic that turned Beck down. They needed to gauge his reaction. They found the woman that denied him, she was a friendly woman with dark black hair pulled back into a bun. "So you've worked with Beck in the past?"

"Oh yes," the woman replied, "He was a regular." She frowned and put her hand to her chest. "It was painful to turn him down. He would come donate every two weeks, said he loved helping out those that needed it." What she was hearing was donating blood and plasma was something that Beck was passionate about, something of a livelihood, if nothing else.

"What happened when he was turned down?"

"I think it took a minute for the shock to register." The woman folded her forearms on the desk and looked down, patting her arm gently. "I tested him again and he still came up with having a disqualifying disease. He started to panic, becoming almost belligerent and confused, demanding that I keep testing him and questioning how he could be positive." The woman lifted her sorrowful eyes up and shook her head. "He was trembling terribly at that point, scratching his head and sweating. It was the first time we had to call security on him."

"You called security?"

"We were concerned about his safety as well as ours or other clients here. I asked him if he'd slept with anyone beside his wife, he told me he hadn't. He also said his wife hadn't slept around with anyone else either, as far as he knew. It was 'impossible', and they had a 'picture perfect relationship'."

Concerned this was a trigger-point, they drove to the doctor that confirmed a positive test result. They had a warrant ready and the doctor led them into his office. The man was in his fifties and looked somewhat like the Colonel of KFC, without the moustache and a shorter goatee.

"It was concerning," the doctor pushed an ink pen into the chest pocket of his white coat and then adjusted his thick glasses. "He always came in for his routine checkups, never had a single issue that I can think of." Trina squinted her eyes and leaned forward, pushing her enclosed hands on the desk.

"Really? What about back trouble, Dr. Peterson?" The doctor raised an eyebrow and scratched his beard.

"He is in tip-top shape as far as physique goes. If he has claimed back trouble, it is an issue he has not brought up with me." David and Trina looked at each other with surprise and turned their focus back to the doctor. This was new information, and incredible as far as the investigation was concerned.

"How did he respond to the positive HIV test?" Dr. Peterson bowed his head a bit and shook his head.

"Devastated, distraught, and confused. He paced about my office, mumbling about the how's an why's of getting the disease. I told him it wasn't strictly through sex that it was contracted, HIV can be contacted through the exchange of blood and or bodily fluids."

"He didn't accept that advice, I take?" David raised a hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes. "Do you know if he decided to take action towards discovering the cause?"

"Oh yes. He told me he hired a private investigator. One Mitchel Pierson. He was adamant about finding out whether or not he got infected by his wife, distraught and horrified to think she was stepping out on him."

Trina narrowed her eyes. "He can't have taken that well after years of her accusing him of having affairs."

"No he didn't…he brought it up repeatedly how 'hypocritical' she must be if she had been cheating on him. He informed me that he never once cheated, but loved her enough to be patient and accept her paranoia."

"Did he ever come to you about whether or not he made a discovery?"

"No, but Mr. Pierson would be the best person to inquire about that. I suggest contacting him, Detectives."

"We'll do that." Trina smiled gently and nodded. "Thank you for your time."

Mr. Pierson wasn't difficult to talk with, just as the others hadn't been. The man's office was neat and tidy, and he was dressed well. He had a thick brown moustache that blew with each breath he exhaled. "I do remember that case," Mitchel stated, "I must have followed his wife for ages. He didn't want to believe she could cheat on him, and was adamant that she hadn't. He continued to tell me about how he contracted HIV, and how his life was ruined because of it."

"Ruined?" Trina arched an eyebrow. "Ruined how, Investigator?"

"Donating was his life, his everything. Now he couldn't do that. He'd been handed a death sentence and something that he was incredibly passionate about was cut off…I'd say he was pretty pissed about that, he couldn't stop talking about it."

"And did you discover anything?"

"I did." Mitchel removed a folder from his file cabinet and handed it to them, he had a solemn look on his face and pressed his lips inwards. "These are the copies of the photographs I took, and my notes."

David opened the notes and Trina leaned sideways, looking over his shoulders at the photographs. Many of the initial ones showed Jade walking around, or talking with Tori.

There were quite a few pictures of Tori, which was surprising. "In my following of them, I could tell they had a deep relationship going on. I believe it was Mrs. Oliver's first foray into a lesbian relationship, but as I've stated in my notes, Jade seemed to want the company of a guy as well…"

"Okay." The next series of photographs horrified her. Jade was being pleasured by Tori, rubbing together in bed. In one, Tori had been wearing a strap-on. Trina nearly turned away, too disgusted to see the activities her sister had been involved in. It never got any easier to see.

"What about Andre Harris? Did you ever see them together?"

"I did. They also seemed to have a relationship, but it was not as sexual as the one she was having with Tori Vega." Trina cupped her hand over her mouth and tears started to well up in her eyes. "Her relationship with Miss Vega was sexual, her relationship with Andre was romantic…but there was a time when they slept together."

"You only saw it happen once?"

"Yes. The next set of photographs document that."

Trina thumbed through them, steeling her nerves and tensing when she saw them. David, however, doubled over and had to look away-shaking with disgust.

The photographs showed Jade wearing a purple mask while sitting atop a bed. Tori was crawling on her right, peeling away Jade's jacket while Andre was positioned between Jade's legs, holding her knees apart with his hands.

"Do you mind if we take these in for evidence?" Her voice trembled and she closed the folder. Mitchel nodded, confirming that he would be happy to turn them over. "How did Beck handle the news?"

"I think he knew she was cheating by that time, but seeing his best friends were the ones she was sleeping with…that did him in. I've never seen the soul suck out of a person so quickly. He sort of died right before my eyes, falling into a dead silence, staring at those pictures in my office for a good twenty minutes."

"When did he leave?"

"After about half an hour. He didn't shed any tears, just stood up quietly and thanked me for my work before walking out the door. I was worried about him, but hadn't heard from him since that last day."

"He was crushed," David said after arriving at the office and telling his supervisor everything. "Everything Beck ever built, everything he loved, died in the cruelest ways."

"Yeah, and he was given a death sentence."

"My supervisor tells me, and I agree, that all of this gives him motive but does not prove he was the one there that night." Trina nodded, thinking about the blood on the windowsill. They needed a way to get Beck to hand over his DNA, but he would never it if he was truly the killer. If he was smart, he'd lawyer up. "There's a lot we have to prove, but right now, all this makes him a strong contender."

"Mostly circumstantial. We need hard evidence." She leaned her head back and furrowed her brow. "I wonder if he's thrown out that broken pane of glass yet." If it was in a dumpster, it was officially public domain and could be taken. "Anything come out with the ballistics testing yet?"

"Yes. My supervisor was just telling me about those results." David smirked and his eyebrows started to rise. "They came out a match. We have our murder weapon." Her heart skipped a beat and she moved her hands over her mouth, gasping into them. "There's a problem though."

"Oh god…"

"We have no prints on it. We also have to prove that Beck is the one that fired it, as I mentioned earlier." She dropped her hands and sighed. "Unless we can prove that, we still have nothing more than circumstantial evidence and a case in which two of the investigators working it are closely tied to the victims."

"Which means…" She clenched her eyes shut and felt her heart drop into her stomach. David didn't have to say what it meant, she already knew. The case had to be strong, especially if they went about accusing Beck-someone who not only had known ties to her in the past, but someone that just attempted to wreck her marriage. "The case had better be strong enough to erase any and all doubt or suspicion of bias."

"Exactly."

It was disheartening, but not overly devastating. Trina was confident they could build a case, but it just meant they would have to go through everything with a much finer toothed comb than normal. "I haven't let my emotions get the best of me yet, I think I've been in solid control of that."

David nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. "True." He looked her in the eyes and the corners of his lips pulled back. "But you also understand Beck. He's part of the group of people that riled you, he knows how to get to you. If he is our person, he will test you…he will try to provoke both of us. We have to be strong like usual, but stronger…we have to bring our A game now, Trina."

"I understand completely." She opened her eyes partially and flared her nostrils. "I'm ready to bring him down. For mom, for Tori, and even for Andre and Jade."

* * *

So what are your thoughts? It appears we have a potential motive and a potential lead suspect now. It isn't enough that Jade was cheating on him with his best friends, but his life and his passions were cut short by this infidelity. HIV positive. Is that the true motive? Is Beck our person? If so, how can they prove the connections? What are your thoughts?


	19. Father-Daughter Stakeout

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (Father-Daughter Stakeout)

Staking out the daycare on a hunch, Trina gently tapped her thumb on the steering wheel of her father's car. She had a feeling Jade would want to return to work, and was checking the location out just to see if it would happen. Furthermore, if she did return, it could signify the result of another lingering suspicion she had.

Her father was in the passenger seat with his nose buried in an open newspaper. "Houston beat the Cowboys 35 to 10," David muttered. Trina's thumb slid flat on the steering wheel and her eyebrow arched up. "Cowboys haven't won a series in a while." She turned her head and flattened her eyebrows as she watched him reach into a box of Krispy Kreme.

"Oh my god, you've become a cliché." He froze, his fingers pinching a jelly donut and his eyebrows rising up high. "Yeah Dad, you really need to retire."

"Fuck it." He picked up the donut and raised it to his lips. "I'd be more of a cliché if I was just a traffic cop eating a donut and reading the paper." He closed his eyes, shrugged, and bit into the donut.

"We need whiskey." She rolled her eyes and groaned. "I shouldn't drink, though." David grunted and lowered the donut.

"There are plenty of bars around here, if you want a drink. I'll drive." She chuckled softly and shook her head from side to side. "Nothing wrong with indulging yourself once in a while."

"Yeah, but I-" Movement in the corner of her peripheral caught her attention and she snapped her eyes over to see Beck pulling up in his car. "Look! It's them." David closed his newspaper and leaned forward, studying the couple closely.

"So he's decided to bring her to work." He pulled a section of the paper out and started to hand it over. "Here, it's the business section."

"I don't read the paper, Pop."

"Would you prefer the comics?"

"Yes." He removed another section and Trina took the pages from him. They waited until Beck guided Jade into the wheelchair and pushed her into the daycare, then followed carefully behind.

Once inside, they sat in a couple chairs in the waiting area and held the pages in front of them. Trina spotted an old _Peanuts_ short and started to snicker, stopping only when David nudged her. "Not so much noise," he hissed, "We're on a stakeout."

"I can't help it."

"Stop, or I'll give you the business section."

"That's almost as hilarious as the comics…" She turned her head, looking to the receptionist's desk. There was a wall directly to their side, creating a small alcove that shielded them from a sideways glance.

"It's nice to see you at work," Mrs. Benson stated. The golden haired woman smiled at Jade and watched as Beck shuffled towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the pushbar and looked at the waiting room with narrow eyes and a deep frown.

After a moment, he left. "It's good to be back, Sam." Jade took a deep breath and looked at the desk. "I've missed it here. I can't believe I actually got him to let me come to work."

"Right." Sam looked at Trina and David with a simple nod. They had already let her know they were here, so there wasn't any issue with their presence. "Everything should be just as you left it. Please let me know if you need anything." Sam hugged the woman and cast an almost motherly gaze onto her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah…"

"If you need anything, I'm here. If you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks." With that, Sam departed into her office, leaving Jade alone to fend for herself. Trina leaned forward, poking her head around the corner wall to get a better view of the girl.

Jade was shaking like a leaf, looking both nervous and relieved at the same time She was trying to read a book, but her hands were tense and twitching. Tears were running down the woman's face and she kept looking at the parking lot as though she were afraid of something outside.

"Do you think Beck's still out there?" Trina whispered. David stared out at the lot, shaking his head slowly.

"I don't see him. He might have better things to do."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

Over time, Trina watched with a sense of longing as parents brought their children in to drop them off at the center. Her hand drifted to her stomach and she smiled each time a mother or father said a tearful goodbye to their little child with the promise of returning after the workday.

Her mind began to wander away from her investigation for a moment, and she began to think of how she and Martin would do as parents. She knew she would be the type of mother to be firm but loving; not the type to never say no or constantly spoil her child, but the type to give her baby the best life possible and help them to grow up and be strong.

She wanted to remind her child to be strong, to stand up for themselves and to be courteous as well as kind. When they did wrong, she would let them know; and when they did right, she would reward them. No matter what, she would love them.

Confident as she was, she was nervous too. Her mother was gone, so when the time came, she knew she wouldn't have Holly to help her through that. Carol would be there, however, and that was important to her. Even more important, however, her father would actually be there. Now that they were finally starting to get along after two decades, she _wanted_ him there.

The vision that came to her mind was pleasing. She and Martin held a little baby in their arms while Carol raced about the kitchen, trying to prepare turkey for a Christmas feast. At the same time, she could see Gary and David standing in front of a Christmas tree, arguing over ornaments and over what should go on top of the tree.

"Trina?" David's voice interrupted her, pulling her back from the daydream. She blinked twice, raising her head and realizing that she had fallen on his shoulder. "Are you that exhausted?"

"No, I'm just thinking about stuff, sorry."

"Focus. Jade's doing something." He motioned out and Trina looked to see Jade with a child in her lap. The girl was smiling through a stream of tears while the child looked at her with great concern.

"Where have you been Mrs. Ollie, and why are you crying?"

"It's nothing sweetie," Jade hugged the child-clearly bonding with it. Trina figured the woman had grown to be this way for a lot of the children there, a mother figure almost. "I-I had an accident recently. That's all." Jade's voice broke. The child's mouth formed an oval.

"Oh my goodness! Is that why you're in a wheeling chair?"

"Yeah…A couple of my friends were involved too." Jade wiped her eyes and gasped softly. "How about we talk about something else?"

"Are your friends okay?" Jade closed her eyes and shook her head. The child hugged Jade and smiled. "Mommy used to always say whenever we lose someone, we should remember the good things. Do you remember good stories about them?" Jade laughed once, nodding her head.

"Yeah." Trina and David exchanged a confused look, now more certain than ever they'd been lied to regarding Jade's amnesia. "I remember back in high school, one of my best friends…Tori…" Jade wiped a tear from her face and breathed in deep. "We met when she spilled something on my husband's shirt. I thought she was flirting with him."

"Flirting?"

"Oh, um, that's…Well, they were talking" Jade smiled sweetly, a sparkle shone in her eyes. "I was a little jealous, but over the years she seemed fine." Trina leaned into her father, about to suggest that Jade may not have amnesia at all. "We had a lot of good times in high school. Tori had this sister, I remember, we used to-we weren't very nice."

"What?" The child's eyes grew and the child gasped out in shock. "You? Not nice?" Jade chuckled sadly and shook her head.

"A lot has changed. When I was younger, I wasn't as good of a person as I am now. I didn't like the girl, Katrina, because before Tori and I became friends…she approached me, angry that I was treating her sister the way that I was. I was proud, and didn't like being told I was wrong, so I picked on her a lot afterwards…my friends followed, and I guess Tori just wanted to be liked, so she would join in."

Tears welled up in Trina's eyes and she felt a flicker of anger that she pushed down out of pity and understanding. David looked to her, concerned. "You going to be okay?" He whispered? She cleared her throat and nodded.

"I'll be fine." Finally, she understood what it was that caused Jade's ire against her. "I've always been protective of Tori. I remember the incident Jade's talking about…"

It was more than one incident, in truth. The first time had been when Tori didn't want to go back to Hollywood Arts because of Jade, Trina found the girl and began berating her for treating her sister like shit. The next incident was when Tori had been forced to go into detention, and that incident carried more weight than the first.

"Do you remember when Tori got detention for getting into a fight with Jade?"

"Yeah. Some playacting thing, right?"

"Yeah." Trina breathed in deep and closed her eyes. "Jade faked having been hit by Tori. Purposely got her in trouble just because she didn't like her. God, I was _furious_ when I found out."

"How'd you find out?"

"Sinjin told me. He said he saw everything and knew Jade was faking it. Then I followed her, and I saw her putting makeup on to fix her 'bruise'…" Trina pressed her lips together and shook her head. "It was the first time I ever got physical because of my sister."

 _The stall door flew open and Jade froze as Trina appeared in the bathroom mirror. "You're faking it?" She growled. Jade looked over her shoulder and shrugged._

 _"What's it to you?"_

 _"That's my little sister, that's what." Trina grabbed Jade, pushing her against the counter and glaring into her eyes. "How dare you get her in trouble because of your own fucked up issues!" Jade flinched as Trina's nostrils flared. Her anger was greater than she'd felt in a long time, and her fist was clenched and ready-though she wasn't going to swing. "Why do you keep messing with her? Because you think she came onto your boyfriend?"_

 _"Get off me, Vega." Jade pushed her off and walked a few feet to the right, scoffing loudly. "She's just a bitch that has a thing for my boyfriend. So what if I put her in her place at least once, she needs to know where she stands."_

 _"Excuse me?" Trina cracked her neck and made her approach. "That is my sister you're talking about."_

 _"And she doesn't give a shit about you, so why should you?" Trina froze as Jade's narrow eyes darted over to her. The goth's lips twisted into a small smirk and she began to chuckle. "I mean, no one really likes you, so what does it matter? She talks shit about you all the time, you know." Trina flared her nostrils and raised her hand. "What? You going to take a swing at me? Go ahead, I'll just tell Eikner I was assaulted by Tori's sister out of retaliation."_

 _"Fuck you. I don't care, but you treat my little sister with respect or we're going to have problems, got that?"_

It had been many years since then, and things had certainly changed. Since then she had stopped being so protective of her little sister, but now she wondered if she should have ever stopped.

"Trina had a toughness about her," Jade explained to the child, "Something that I think the wrong kind of people put down." The child furrowed its brow and lowered its gaze. "Bullies, I mean. If you take anything from this conversation…don't ever be a bully. Don't ever be mean to people, because in the end, it hurts a lot."

"I don't think you were ever a bully."

"I was, and I wasn't a good one. I regret those days, I do…always have…"

With that, Trina had her answer. Jade did not have amnesia. The question now was why would Jade put on the act of having amnesia?

She and David left a couple hours later, convinced even more that something was up. "Do you think he's forcing her to act like she has a case of amnesia?" David inquired. "Or is there something more to it?"

"I don't know what more there could be."

"You have to realize that if she's lying to investigators about amnesia, it means one of two things: Either she's under duress or she herself is involved in what happened." Trina leaned her head back slowly and closed her eyes. "She wouldn't be the first to injure herself either."

"Do we consider that angle?"

"If HIV contraction is a motive for Beck, it could certainly be one for her…" David scratched his chin and started to hum. "But no, I believe she's as much of a victim as the others, but the trouble here is you have to look at every possible angle there is as a homicide detective, even if you don't like a specific angle…because a lot of times, there is that angle."

"Yeah, but she seemed to be genuinely grieving."

"Agreed. We need to look at Beck even harder now."

* * *

So what are your thoughts here? I hope you enjoyed the moments too, heh. Well. Thoughts and observations?


	20. Awakened

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 20 (Awakened)

Tori's hospital room was still as cold as the day Trina first entered. Sitting in the chair, wishing her sister would wake, Trina could only say words she wasn't sure her sister could hear. "I'm going to catch him, Tori." Her hands clenched tight as she studied her sibling. She still looked like she was doing nothing but sleeping as she had been. "The man that did this to you. We're closing in on him."

She glanced over her shoulder. Her father was standing outside, talking to a nurse. Trina looked down and scooted her chair closer to Tori's bedside. "Tori…" She took her sister's hand, squeezing it as though doing so would squeeze life into her sibling. "There's something I wanted to tell you. Even when we were kids, I always wanted you to be the first to know."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she started to smile. "I don't know how to say it." Her voice wavered as she gently slid her fingers across her abdomen. "Tori, I used to dream of how you'd be as an aunt. When I was a little girl, I thought you'd spoil your nieces and nephews."

She clenched her eyes shut and dropped her forehead to her sister's hand. "I don't care what you've said, what you've done-to me or to anyone else…" Her voice shook again and she gasped out softly. "You're still my sister, I still love you. I want you to know I am here for you, if you need help, I'm here."

Trina looked at the heart monitor, shaking her head from side to side. "Hell of a time to say it, but I don't know how to bring it up to Martin or even to Dad." She chuckled twice and breathed in slow. "Tori, I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby." Her forehead wrinkled and she leaned over, looking down at her sister's face. "If it's a girl, I'm naming her after you."

Squeezing Tori's hand with her right, she ran her left fingers through her sister's hair. "I still dream of you showering my children with gifts and snacks. I dream of you being that crazy fun aunt that can't stop getting my children in trouble." She chuckled again sadly and started to sob. "I need you, Tori. I need you."

She raised her head slowly and wiped her cheeks with the back of her left hand. "Dad and I have started to make up, we're working on things now. It's difficult, we're both petrified. We've lost mom…she's gone, little sis, we can't lose you too."

Suddenly she felt something strange, a brushing sensation in her right hand. Her eyes darted over and widened when she saw Tori's fingers moving. "Oh my god." Her heart began to race and she turned around as Tori's hand started to close further around hers. "D-Dad! Nurse!"

It didn't take long before David and the nurse ran in, both looking alarmed and worried. "What's going on?" David asked. The monitor began making some strange motions that Trina didn't understand, and for a moment she thought she saw Tori's eyelids flutter.

"Tori's moving." The nurse started to check something, then scurried out of the room. David hurried to the other side of Tori's bed and put an arm over Tori's left forearm.

"Tori?" He started. "Tori, honey?"

Trina squeezed Tori's hand in return. "I'm here Tori. I'm here…"

For Tori, she'd been trapped on a crumbling platform for so long. The monkey bars of her dream had finally come back and the red sky had slowly turned to blue. Hearing her sister's voice, she was able to rise and see her sister return on newer, pristine monkey bars.

She could hear her sister. _"Take my hand."_ Tori reached out bravely, but with a fearful whimper. _"I'm here, Tori. I'm here."_ Her entire body shook as she leaned her entire body off, using only her hand on the edge to stabilize herself. _"I'm here."_ When she grabbed her sister's hand, the trembling within ceased and she felt a sense of relief washing over her.

Trina waited anxiously, watching as Tori started to open her eyes. Her heart skyrocketed when she saw her sister stare at the ceiling, then look towards her. Doctors piled in with a few nurses, ready to work on the girl.

"It's going to be okay." Trina ran her hand through Tori's long brown hair and shakily kissed her forehead. "It's going to be okay." Tori's hand tightened like a vice grip and the girl's eyes moved about the room in a frenzy.

It took some time for the nurses to stabilize her, but once they did, Tori was declared ready to see people. Trina was torn between being a sister and being an investigator, because she knew that when it came to victims waking up from a coma, there was always the risk of time being limited before losing the patient.

David appeared to be having the same problem, pacing in the hallway and scratching his head vigorously. "Dad, what do we do?" David paused and looked at her with an uncertain look.

"In my experience as a homicide investigator, the first thing you do with a hospitalized victim is apologize and ask questions relating to the crime. Because their state can change in an instant." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I want to be there as her father, just as much as you want to be there as her sister, but we also don't know if-if something might happen…She may have information to help our case."

"So in the end, you don't know what to do either?"

"I don't. I-I can't believe it, but I don't."

Trina took another deep breath and ran her hand over her forehead, positioning it just above her eyes for a moment. "Maybe…Maybe it would be better we go in as family first, because she needs family."

"Then my superior would ask you 'what happens if she slips back into a coma'?" Trina grabbed her hair and groaned.

"Shit, you're right."

The nurse stepped out and the two looked at her. "She's stable and willing to talk about the case, if it helps your investigation." Trina furrowed her brow and the nurse motioned to the door. "The doctor notified her that the two of you were also looking into the case, she appears ready to discuss what she can."

They nodded and followed the nurse in. Tori's eyelids were partially open and her hands were moving slowly along the sides of the bed. "Trina…" Tori's voice was raspy and weak. They moved slowly to her father. "Dad…"

Trina's eyes welled up with tears as she approached her sister. "Tori, I'm so sorry. I have so much I want to talk about. I have so much I want to say." Trina squeezed her sibling's hand and whispered. "I love you little sis." Tori's eyebrows scrunched together and rose in the center.

"I'm sorry." Tori breathed in deep. "For everything." Tori closed her eyes and a solitary tear ran down the side of her face. "If you want to talk about what happened, I'd like to. If you have questions, I can answer."

"Okay…we do." There was a police officer in the room to aid in taking notes, and David's supervisor was present as well-having been called in once Tori became responsive. "But we do have questions pertaining to the case. We found a journal in your apartment." Tori rasped and her chest started to rise.

"Okay."

"In it you say 'he knows now', there was a very cryptic message in your last entry. Who knew what, and what was over?" Tori shook her head slowly.

"Beck," She replied with another raspy groan. "Jade and I, and Andre, had a thing going. Jade was bored, looking to try something new…so we approached her."

"We know you were doing pornography. Is that what you approached Jade about?"

Tori nodded slowly. "Yes. At first it was nothing, it meant nothing to me anyway. Then it started to." Tori chuckled softly. "Never thought I'd like being with a woman, but I did. Jade seemed to like dating Andre more though. He provided the dates, I provided the sex."

"So there was an affair."

"Yes. Beck found out." Tori sucked in another large breath. "He approached us. Andre and myself. He was furious. He said he found out about Jade's affair, said he'd contracted HIV too. He was pissed off."

"So there was a confrontation?"

"Five months ago, maybe less. He said we needed to stay away from Jade…but she was too into it." David wiped Tori's cheek with a tissue and Trina's chest began to ache. "I started to develop feelings for her, strangely enough, and I didn't want to stop. He seemed angrier about the HIV thing though, but still wanted us to stay away from Jade."

"Were there any threats? Was there any reason to believe he might try and harm you?"

"Only one time. He sent a letter once." Tori raised her hand, pointing nowhere in particular. "There should be a box in my apartment. It has a letter from him, stating he would 'get us back' for the disease and for the betrayal. Betrayal being the affair." Tori furrowed her brow. "We didn't know what he meant by it, but he said we 'wouldn't know when, wouldn't know how'…" Tori looked into Trina's eyes with great concern. "Trina? Do you think Beck did this?"

"We're not sure right now." Trina's voice trembled as she squeezed her sister's hand. "If he is, and you are able, would you be willing to testify?"

"Yes…If I'm able, I'll testify against whoever you find." Tori closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "I don't want to think it would be Beck, but I understand. I-I feel like…I don't want to think that he could do this."

"I know. I know it's hard." She wasn't sure what to say, or even how to make it any easier. The fact of the matter was that Beck was their primary suspect, and there was no going back from that. Tori's testimony would be one of the most helpful tools for the investigation. "I don't want to have to put you through this, Tori. Not when you're just waking up."

"It has to be done. I don't remember much, I know the person that attacked us, he spoke, he wanted me to suffer…to pay."

"Is it possible that it is anyone from the industry?"

"I don't believe so. If it is anyone, I think it would be Beck…He's had so many fights with Andre and myself ever since finding out about everything."

"Did those ever get physical?"

"Yes. Many times. Andre would push him or he'd push Andre, then someone would take a swing." Tori turned her head, gazing out the door. "I don't feel safe." Trina looked back and nodded her head.

"Don't worry Tori, we're going to have somebody posted at your door." They'd already had police standing guard just in case the assailant tried to finish the job. Now it was even more necessary that they have someone posted constantly.

Tori lifted her chest in an attempt to move, then sank back in the bed with a sigh. "Beck has done so well over the last ten years. Working for that glass company though, it takes a lot of his time away from Jade, but he was able to take care of her. Support her and pay the bills. She didn't _have_ to work, but she wanted to."

"I see."

"You know. Jade." Tori looked up into Trina's eyes and frowned deeply. "She and Beck had a little kid once." Trina's eyebrows rose and Tori shook her head slowly. "Just after you left, she was pregnant. So that child would be nine years old today."

"What happened?"

"There was an incident." Tori closed her eyes and raised a weak hand in the air. She seemed to be trying to move her hand towards her head, but was too tired. "That baby was three or four years old, drawing on the sidewalk with play chalk. Absolutely nothing should have gone wrong, but there was a drunk driver on the road…" Feeling nauseous and upset, Trina moved her hand down to her stomach and started to turn her head. "He jumped the curb."

It was a travesty that should never have happened, she couldn't imagine how Jade or even Beck must have felt. "That's horrible."

"Yeah. Doctors thought the kid could have been saved with a blood transfusion, but it was too late. Ever since, the only thing Beck's ever wanted to do outside of work is to donate; So that maybe his blood donation could be enough to save a little kid's life."

"I see."

"According to us, we took that from him. We took everything from him, and he hated us for it."

"Did he say that?"

"Yes…His words."

Tori moved her hand outward, touching Trina's wrist. Trina smiled gently as her sister's fingers trembled and curled around her arm. "Trina, I'm so sorry. For everything." She closed her eyes.

"It's okay Tori."

"It's not. I love you. I never meant to make you think I didn't." Tori sniffed and started to lean upwards. Trina moved over, placing a hand on her sister's back to stabilize her. Tori pushed her arms timidly around her chest. Trina started to choke up, sobbing once as she held her sibling. "I'm glad you're home."

"I'm married. Live about four hours from here."

"Don't leave me again. Please."

"No." She chuckled once and looked up at her dad. "You and Dad both are coming home with me when this is all over." There wasn't space enough in her apartment for either, but she could help Tori find something in their town.

After the visit, Trina made her way out of the room, wiping her eyes. She caught a glimpse of a cracked window in the corner of her peripheral. Two doctors were standing at it, studying it close, looking away only when she walked up. "Broken window?"

"Yes," one doctor replied, "There are a couple in this hallway that are like this. We're replacing them with stronger panes overnight."

"I see…" She furrowed her brow and made her way back to the room. She had an odd feeling and knew something needed to be done. There was an officer standing guard outside Tori's door, so she signaled the officer over. "I want heavy guard at Tori's room day in and day out-especially at night. Is that possible?"

The officer nodded. "Yes ma'am, we can put more units in position here."

"Thank you."

* * *

So much has happened here in this chapter, from the reveal in the beginning to Tori finally waking up. She's got a ways to go yet, but she'll be a crucial witness as her stength starts to improve.


	21. Father of Mine

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (Father of Mine)

"We're closing in." Trina settled into the passenger seat of David's car, sighing heavily as she sipped coffee from her metal mug. "I mean wow." Her eyebrows popped and she shook her head once. "Tori's going to be incredible to put in that courtroom."

"She will be, if she's able to testify." There was a good chance it might be too hard emotionally and mentally for Tori, but if she understood where her sister's mind had gone in the last several years, she was almost certain the girl could do this.

This was a momentary break from the singing they'd been doing while driving; singing along to the playlist of songs David had. They were cruising down the street, taking a brief break from the case to clear their heads.

As they drove, Trina was surprised to hear Everclear come on with _Father of Mine_. Trina raised her eyebrow and looked at her dad. She had this song on one of her own personal playlists, and it wasn't a song that people put on without reason. "Really Dad?" David laughed once and turned to look at her.

"What?"

"We both know why _I_ have that song on one of my playlists." David smirked and raised his eyebrows. "But why on earth would you have it? People don't just put this song on for nothing." She was curious, especially because she knew her dad had some difficulty with his father-even if she never saw her grandpa in a negative light. "Maybe it's time you told me." David breathed in and chuckled.

"Told you what?"

"About Grandpa." She crossed her arms and pressed her shoulder against the glass, rolling her back onto it. "When I was a very little girl, I think I asked you about it. You didn't seem like you were always happy to see Grandpa, like you'd rather just take me and Tori to see Grandma and not bother with Gramps. You told me it was something that you'd have to explain to me when I was older, but you never did."

He frowned and looked sideways out the window next to him. "Okay."

"So maybe now's the time?" She tapped her foot along with the song, singing the lyrics in her mind. She could hear her father humming to them, but he was taking his time to answer her.

"I never wanted you to see your grandfather as anything less than he was to you, Trina. Like me, he'd never been the best father, but he was a good grandfather."

"I can handle it." She folded her hands in her lap and looked down. "I'll remember Grandpa always the same. If nothing else, I'll understand a little better now." David nodded slowly and hit the pause on his CD player.

His shoulders dropped and he looked out at the street with a frown. "When I was a boy, you have to realize I grew up in a very different world than you did." He exhaled and pushed down on the brake pedal as the light in front of them turned red. "I grew up in the sixties with a father that grew up abused by his own father. That was the norm, though. Everyone knew it was okay to beat your children or beat your wife. My own grandfather would take shots at my grandmother just to see how close to her head he could get without hitting her…"

Trina gasped softly as David narrowed his eyes. "Your grandpa ran away at seventeen to join the military, not unlike you leaving to form a life of your own ten years prior." She smiled gently and closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of the cool AC blowing against her skin. "My dad smoked a great deal, drank a great deal. He boasted about getting into bar fights and bragged about how he could beat anyone up."

"Wow." She ran her hand along her arm and frowned. Much of what she remembered about her grandfather was pleasant. The man would always crack jokes and smile, he'd often call her his 'little helper' whenever she helped him with yard work. "I remember painting the fence with him once as a little girl, he was laughing the entire time and just making jokes…"

"You were a child. You should always remember him as you do." David furrowed his brow and started to sigh. "But now you're an adult. You understand that everybody has his or her own demons to contend with. As a child, you wouldn't have known that, you wouldn't have understood that anyone could be less than perfect…that your grandfather was less than a perfect man."

"Yeah." It stung to hear how her grandfather was, and she knew there was more than what she'd just been told. Part of her wanted her father to stop, but the rest of her wanted to know more. "I'll always love my grandpa, so don't worry."

David smiled briskly and started to nod. "Good. I don't want your opinion of him to ever change, okay?"

"It won't…"

"When I was a child, he was distant, far more than I think I ever was." David tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel and started to sigh. "He was always at work, an engineer in the military. The only time I ever saw him was when I would do something wrong and my mother would often say 'wait until your father gets home'. He would discipline me with a lot more than a belt…"

Trina felt her heart drop into her stomach. She let out a heavy breath and moved her hand to his wrist. "Oh Dad…" David tensed and his nostrils opened wide.

"'Fear teaches respect', that's what he would say. I swore I would be nothing like him. My children would love me, I would shower them with praise and treat them the way a father was meant to." Her fingers slid from his wrist and she looked away for a second. "But I failed to do that."

"You didn't come home drunk every night. There's that."

He scoffed and let out a single, dry chuckle. "There is that, yeah." He ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "But I was distant. I was negligent. I ignored you and Tori when I should have been there for the two of you. The greatest regret I have is that my two children grew up to hate me."

"I don't hate you." It was sudden, it was abrupt and without hesitation, but it was true. Even if she thought of all the years of trouble that she had, she had never been able to hate her father. David let out a heavy sigh and started to smile. "It's been hard, yeah, but I don't hate you."

If anything, she understood her dad even more. She knew how difficult his job was, and how much time it ate from his family. She also understood how affected he must have been from what happened to them many years ago, and she didn't hold it against him.

"I forgive you." He jerked his head back and looked at her with arched eyebrows. "For being distant, for being unable to be there as a father." She squeezed his forearm and took a deep breath. "I know it must have been hard for you after what happened, and I don't hold it against you for becoming distant after that. You're still my dad, no matter what, and you need to know that."

He shifted back, pumping himself up with confidence. "More than Gary?"

She laughed openly and placed a hand on her dad's shoulder. "One step at a time, Dad. Gary's been a great surrogate dad for the last ten years, you're still my dad."

"Uh huh."

"You are."

"Martin said you considered Gary your dad. He even gave you away at your wedding."

She smirked, catching the jealousy in his tone. "Dad. Are you honestly jealous right now of a man that you once chose as a godfather if anything happened to you? You should be happy that he was able to be there for me when no one else was…"

"I am! I just-" He stammered and his face started to turn red. "If I had been a better father, you might never have left. If I had been better, I wouldn't have lost everything, everyone that mattered to me."

"I'm here now." She smiled as he looked at her, his gaze fearful and his brow heavy. "You haven't lost me, and maybe you haven't lost Tori."

"I don't know. You still left. For ten years."

"I know. There was a toxic situation, I needed to get away. Things are different now, Dad." She needed that time away, and it wasn't all about him-or as much as he thought it must have been. She loved her father, and she always would. "I love you, Dad." He gasped and held his breath, looking at her with trembling eyes. "I always have. I don't want you to think you're the only reason I left, because you're not."

"I love you too. I'm sorry I wasn't the father I could have been."

"You're here now, that's all that matters."

All they really had now was each other, regardless. Yes, Tori was awake, but nothing would ever be the same. Even with Tori, things were certain to be different. Tori would need a lot of help, there was no questioning that. Whatever darkness lay in the past between Trina and her father, it was gone. Or at least, it needed to be gone so they could take care of Tori.

She moved her hand to her stomach and closed her eyes. "I think Martin will be a good father, and I think I am going to do the best I can as a mother. I know you'll be a good grandfather. In fact, I'm confident you will be."

"Yeah…" David blinked twice and looked at her for a moment, his eyebrows raising and his eyes widening. "Wait…" Trina started to smile and David gasped. "You aren't-"

"I am."

He slammed on his brakes and turned into the parking lot of a supermarket. The car stopped in a parking spot and he quickly shifted the gear into park. His entire body began to tremble and he looked at her abdomen with a trembling breath.

"Martin doesn't know yet. I don't know how to tell him, or how to deal with it while I'm dealing with this case." She took a deep breath and released it suddenly. "All I can do is finish this case, get it done and make a start on my life."

"You should tell him as soon as you can." David moved his hand through the air and furrowed his brow. "The case can wait. I know it's your mother and your sister, but don't let that stop you." He started to smile and a flash of pride flickered in his eyes. "I can't believe it's true, that I'm going to be a grandfather." He took her hand and looked her in the eyes, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm going to do my best to be the best grandfather I can be."

"I know. I think you'll be great." She cracked a smile and raised her eyebrows. "Does that mean you'll consider that retirement community?" David cleared his throat and moved his eyes to the side.

"I don't know…I still have to figure out what's going to happen with your sister."

"Bring her with you. You'll only be twenty minutes away, and she's going to need her family."

"Yeah…"

"Trust me." It was going to be difficult, but they could manage. Los Angeles didn't matter, all the connections any of them had here were gone now. They could grow, experience life one way or another, in this new town. "It'll be better for her, for you, for all of us."

"Yeah…"

"Until then." She hit the play button and started to smile. "Let's relax and continue singing, shall we?" David laughed and nodded as the two of them continued with the song.

 _"Father of mine, tell me where have you been…"_

After a while, they got the news from the lab, news that was pivotal to the case. Blood had been found on the brass knuckles-transfer likely from when the assailant removed his gloves.

It matched Tori's blood, making it more likely that whoever wore those brass knuckles was the one that brutalized her.

The second bit of news was, to Trina's surprise, _Jade_ had been arrested. There was a gun in the home that hadn't been confiscated by police; it was a shotgun. Jade used it to shoot her husband in the leg during a fight. The neighbors called the police and she was arrested for domestic violence. Beck, on the other hand, was in the hospital.

For the first time, Trina felt more that this case was coming close to its end. Now she could talk to Jade without Beck creating an obstacle. They would never have a better opportunity than this.

* * *

So Trina and her dad grow closer yet. What are your thoughts this chapter? Observations? Do tell.


	22. Solid Case

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (A Solid Case)

Trina breathed a sigh of relief as she approached the interrogation room where Jade was being held. Finally, they could talk to her without fear of Beck getting in the way. They had him, or so she believed evidence was strong against him; all they needed was to get Jade to talk.

Through the glass mirror she saw the girl, weak and vulnerable; but a shadow of what she once was. Jade's head was bowed and her pale eyes focused on the handcuffs around her shaky hands. Trina could almost make out bruising around the woman's left cheek. Her heart sank and she looked to her father standing nearby. "Let me talk to her."

"If you think you can get information from her, go for it." David positioned his hands flat in front of his waist, gripping his left wrist firmly with his right. His eyes moved towards his supervisor and the boss nodded his approval.

She was the best bet, since Jade had been warming up to her before. Jade wasn't a threat. Whatever happened that resulted in Beck getting shot had to be a cry for help.

Trina pushed open the door and watched Jade raise her head, gasping softly. "Officer," Trina said motioning to the guard standing behind Jade. "Can you remove those cuffs and get her some water?" The officer nodded and did as instructed. It didn't take long before he was back with a bottle of water for Jade.

Her hands folded over the top of the chair and she watched soberly as Jade drank multiple gulps from the bottle. There was a notebook on the table for her to take notes, she picked it up carefully and let out a sigh.

"Mrs. Oliver. Jade…" Jade lowered the bottle and looked at her with wide eyes. "We know you don't have amnesia." The girl's gaze fell to the table and Trina walked slowly to the edge of the table, sitting gently on the corner. "You can talk to me." She clasped her hands and placed them in her lap. "Beck's not going to know anything you tell me in this room, and I can do what I can to provide you names of those able to provide shelter to you. If you're afraid of something, tell me."

"Am I going to jail?" Jade furrowed her brow and stared at the light reflecting off her water. "For shooting him?" Trina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We were fighting. I knew he'd gone hunting before and that he kept a shotgun hidden-and where it was." Jade's voice trembled and her eyes filled with tears. "I wasn't going to shoot him. I was going to kill myself."

"I can't make any promises, but what I can do is tell you this…" They knew Beck survived the shot, and the poor bastard's right knee had been blown apart by that shotgun. There was a damn good chance he'd be locked to a wheelchair for a while. "Beck's going to be in the hospital for a while, undergoing surgery, so I suspect that you will be safe from him."

Jade laid her hands flat on the table, but her trembling fingers continued to beat it like a drum. "I stopped him from destroying your marriage, Trina. I could see what he was trying to do." Trina smiled gently as Jade looked up at her. "He wanted to put something in front of you to distract you, to keep you thinking about something besides the case…"

"Okay."

"There was even an old song my grandpa used to love. I asked one of the people going up to sing karaoke to sing that, because I thought it might make Martin think a little more about what was going on."

"I appreciate you doing that." Trina took a deep breath and smiled. "It's a good thing. You know, he and I are about to have a little one." Jade's eyebrows started to rise and her mouth opened into a wide grin. "You had a child once, didn't you?" The girl's smile faded and she looked off to the side. "That's why you work at the daycare center."

"Yes…We were devastated by the accident. Beck never got over it. He just threw himself into work, went to donate blood on a regular bases. We hadn't been intimate in a long time." Trina leaned her head back, humming softly.

So this was the reason, she surmised, that Jade went looking for affection elsewhere. "I know I shouldn't have had an affair, and I mean no one was really saying yes to helping a married woman cheat on her husband." Jade closed her hands and started to tremble like an earthquake. "Tori only found out because she'd been browsing dating sites, I guess she was looking for people…."

Trina flinched, shaking her head and inhaling. "Looking for people?" Her voice was soft and her brow furrowed. Jade unfolded her hand and raised her head up.

"I'm sorry Trina, but she was looking for people to sleep with. She and Andre came to me, asking about my wanting to cheat on Beck, and asked me if I wanted to try something 'new and exciting'."

"When did you discover they had HIV?" Jade froze, her breath hitching and her tears flowing harder.

"Only after," her voice shook harder and she dropped her head on top of her hands. "Only after Tori told me she was beginning to feel something more, only after we'd had sex multiple times. She'd been using me."

"What do you mean?"

"I slept with my husband, I infected him without knowing." Jade wiped away a stray tear and a sob fell from her lips. "Tori used me at the start, told me later she felt bad about it and had begun caring, but she used me…she never got over you, her sister, leaving. She was angry at everyone, blamed the entire world, and when her college boyfriend infected her…she used that as a weapon."

Trina covered her mouth with her hand and raised her eyes to the window on the wall. Jade cleared her throat. "I know she told me once a long time ago, she blamed me for your going away. She blamed Beck, blame Andre and even Robbie and Cat."

"I see."

"Robbie and Cat saw her depression and they broke away, ended the friendship and took off." Trina nodded once more, thinking back to the traveling comedians that Martin had met. "I don't think they ever want to come back to Los Angeles, don't think they ever will…but that's beside the point. Tori found a way to hurt us, but she hurt Beck in the worst way. I don't think she even realized how badly it affected him."

"How badly, Jade? What did Beck do?"

"He was angry, and he confronted them. This was months ago, when he first found out. Demanded I end my friendship and affair, but I don't know why…" Jade raised her hands over her eyes, weeping into them. "I couldn't call it off! I just couldn't."

"You said the other day that you saw the attacker's face. You heard his voice. Is this true, Jade?" Trina handed her a tissue, waiting calmly as the girl wiped her eyes.

"Yes." Jade gasped softly and crumpled the tissue in her hands. "He made me fake the amnesia, told me he'd kill me if I talked…said I was nothing to him anymore. Nothing. But he could control me now, he said I couldn't stray now that I can't walk."

"Who? Who was telling you all this, Jade?" Her face softened and she looked into her eyes with kind reassurance. "Just give us a name, and we can try to protect you. We can make an arrest." Jade's body jerked and a violent huff fell from her lips.

"Beck. My husband." Trina took a sharp, deep breath, her body and chest rising as air filled her lungs. "He was planning for it…He bought the brass knuckles months ago, he said he was going to 'beat the shit out of them', but I didn't think any of it at the time. I thought he was just blowing smoke." Jade turned her head to the right, staring at a corner section of the wall with quiet eyes. "There's a journal of notes he kept in the desk drawer in his office. I found it recently, it has notes and ideas of how he was going to pull off the attack."

"Are you suggesting that he planned this?"

"Yes."

This was it, they had him. Trina felt a rush of emotion overtake her, but kept a stoic expression so she wouldn't betray herself. "Thank you, Jade." She stood up and started to walk away from the table, but stopped next to her chair and placed a gentle hand on the top. "What did he do with the clothing from that night?"

"Burned them. In our fireplace. He wore gloves, had a mask. He had a black sweater and black pants." Jade let out a relieved sigh and closed her eyes. "I walked up to the window, hearing something, and I saw Beck tapping on the glass. He had the calmest look on his eyes, he didn't look angry or vengeful, he looked like he'd gone over that attack multiple times in his mind or something. Like he knew what he was about to do."

He distanced himself from the crime, made himself emotionless so he could carry out as much as possible.

"I watched him pull his mask down over his head, then he struck the window as hard as he could." Jade laid her arms out, looking at them. "Glass splintered out, cutting me. I saw him with the gun and tried to run, but he shot me…"

She took a seat and continued to take notes on a notebook before her. "Was it deliberate or did he miss another target?"

Jade pressed her lips firmly together and shook her head. "No, he aimed right at my leg. He knew where to shoot…he wanted to do this to me." Jade hugged her waist and watched as her tears dripped from her chin and doused her pants. "I hit my head on the table, but was conscious enough to hear him cussing out Tori and Andre the entire time. He shot Andre first, I didn't see him hesitate for one minute. Then, he attacked Tori…"

She could hear the tension in Jade's voice, and knew it was hard on the girl. As she wrote down the notes in her clipboard, she couldn't help but to wonder what could have been different had none of this ever happened. Who was at fault? Did it matter? Beck needed to face justice regardless.

"Mrs. Vega was there," Trina said quietly, "She was murdered too." Trina raised her eyes and watched the shame pass through Jade's eyes. "Do you think he intended for her to be there?"

"No. He cursed when she showed up, and shot so quickly that I think he was startled. My husband doesn't miss…" Jade's eyes welled up with fresher tears and she looked at Trina with a pained expression. "He joined the military around the time you left, Trina." Trina's eyebrows rose and her heart stopped suddenly. "He was a sharpshooter. He once told me 'the only time I'll ever miss, is if I'm surprised'. Holly shouldn't have been there, he didn't expect her…She had a headache when I went to visit, and she went to take a nap…"

Hearing it hurt worse, though she already knew her mother had been an unintended victim. Needless to say, they had a rock solid testimony from Jade, but she needed to first learn if Jade would be willing to testify in court.

"Jade." Trina stood up and leaned forward, hovering over the table and sliding her hands forward. "We are going to charge him with murder." Jade whimpered and shook to the right. "Of Holly Vega and Andre Harris. The attempted murder of Victoria Vega, and yourself…what I ask you is, will you be willing to testify against him? With your testimony, we can lock him up for the rest of his life."

"I-I understand." Jade looked like a woman that lost everything, someone truly defeated. "I will testify. God I'm so sorry…" Jade hunched forward, raising her hands to her face and sobbing hysterically.

Trina thanked her and left the room without another word. When she met her father, she instinctively fell into his arms. He hugged her close, letting her cry into his shirt. "We got him," David said with a tremble in his voice. Tears were running down his cheeks like Trina had never seen before. He let out a heavy rush of air as Trina's hands clutched his shirt. "We've got him, sweetheart."

She could hear his supervisor from behind, proud of the job being done. "It isn't over yet," the man said, "but we have enough to make an arrest. My detectives have been combing the Oliver house while you were interviewing Jade." Trina pulled her head away from her father's chest and looked at the supervisor closely. "There was a black leather glove found in the corner of the fireplace, lightly burnt and covered in ash. It's likely when Mr. Oliver removed his glove, blood was transferred from that and onto the brass knuckles."

The man flashed a smile and his bushy brown eyebrows lifted up. "My men also found the journal she just mentioned a bit ago. It has premeditation written all over it."

This was almost too good. Beck slipped up, made a mistake, and now they had more direct evidence placing him in that house as the attacker. Jade's testimony placed him as well, and Tori's testimony proved that she and Andre had prior conflicts with him and were afraid he might try something.

Within the hour, Trina marched through the walls of the hospital with brazen satisfaction on her face. She was surprised when she saw Beck walking around in the rehab clinic with a pair of crutches. He had a knee brace wrapped around his leg and looked to be straining himself to move.

"Mr. Oliver, how are you coping?" She smirked and narrowed her eyes, feeling a surge of victory and triumph. Beck turned his head and started to smile. "I was under the impression they had you confined to a wheelchair, I see that's not the case?"

"Oh no, it is." He hobbled to the right and motioned to an empty wheelchair with his head. "I've been wanting to try and walk, I don't care if the doctors say I shouldn't. How's my wife?"

"She's okay." They had an order to place Jade in a mental clinic under suicide watch, so Jade was safe.

"It pains me not to be able to look after her. I don't think she even knew what she was doing. I'm glad she's okay."

"She's safe."

Beck's eyebrows curled up in the center and his smile grew. "When will she be home?" David walked over to the wheelchair, pushing it behind Beck. Beck looked back. "Oh Mr. Vega."

David turned his eyes up to Trina. "I'll let you do this, Trina." Beck swayed his head and rolled his eyes, letting out a swift sigh.

"Fuck. She talked, didn't she?"

"Don't worry Beck. You're only going to get to see your wife again with a pair of cuffs on you."

"Isn't it ironic? You. Coming to her aid. What is this, justice for the very people that ruined your entire teenage life?"

"It is whatever the evidence says it is." Trina helped him to sit into the wheelchair, then removed a pair of handcuffs attached to her waist. "Beck Oliver." Beck closed his eyes and let her cuff his wrists, then placed his clenched fists in his lap. "You're under arrest for the murders of Holly Vega and Andre Harris." She moved behind the wheelchair and gripped the handlebars. "And the attempted murders of Victoria Vega and Jade Oliver."

Beck's shoulders fell and he shook his head, glaring out as she pushed him towards the exit. "I want a lawyer," he answered with a growl. That was it, they couldn't ask him any further questions, but it didn't matter, she was confident that the case they'd built against him was a solid one.

* * *

Finally an arrest has been made. Jade's testimony, perhaps the most shocking one. The evidence now can stand on its own in court, and the supervisor is sending everything to the DA to press charges. Tori's testimony, Jade's testimony, and all the evidence...Beck lawyered up? Don't think that'll be something they have to worry about. What are your thoughts about everything that happened here in this chapter?


	23. Things Renewed

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: The next chapter is the final chapter of this story, so I am going to be placing both of these up together because of that. So here you go, the last two chapters! Closure of the personal drama, followed by closure of the murder case.

* * *

Chapter 23 (Things Renewed)

Trina followed David into his home and grinned when she saw Martin waiting on the couch with a book in hand. "Oh great," David muttered while rolling his eyes, "You're in my house. Did I allow that?" Martin stood up and gave a polite nod.

"Yes sir."

"Huh. I must have been drinking." David walked past Martin, ignoring him. Trina smiled and wiped her eyes as her husband approached with arms outstretched. "Go ahead and tell him the good news, Trina. I'm going to pour us some drinks." He paused and looked back with a smirk as Martin hugged Trina tight. "Actually…I'm going to pour Marty boy here a drink, myself a drink, and you get water or soda Kiddo."

Trina raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I think I can do with a small glass of wine, Dad." Martin leaned his head back, arching his eyebrows high. Trina flashed a smile at him and bowed her head, sighing as she let him wipe away a tear with his thumb. "So Martin, a couple things…we made an arrest."

"That's great news!"

"You might want to testify in court. Up to you, but you can testify to his shooting ability." Her husband furrowed his brow and looked from her to David, then back. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he asked the question she knew he was wondering, she answered. "Beck. The man that approached you at our range, the one that tried to mess with our marriage by making you cheat…" She took a deep breath and dropped her hand into his. "He's been charged with murder. Two counts of murder in the first degree and two counts of attempt."

"Oh god." Martin raised a hand to his head and staggered back. "I can't believe I was that close to a killer. He could have killed me that night!"

"He wouldn't have had much of a reason to." Statistically murderers were the least likely to commit another crime than other types of criminals because their murder was intended for one target and one person. "Unless he were a serial or mass murderer, he wouldn't have had much reason to kill again."

"Did you get him to confess?"

David brought three things of wine over, handing Trina the glass with the least amount. She rolled her eyes and smirked at her father. Martin studied the glass, his brow furrowing more with curiosity. "He lawyered up," David answered, "But that doesn't matter. We've got two surviving victims to give testimony, and enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt."

"Think he'll plead out?"

They clicked their glasses together and Trina took a tiny sip. "I doubt it." She lowered her glass slowly and started to sigh. "I think he's going to try and work some angle. Likely he'll try to say entrapment."

"Entrapment? That's what ended Gary's career, wasn't it? They made him retire because of the guy in the wreck that threw away his drugs?"

"Yeah…" Trina walked to the couch and closed her eyes. "Likely what Beck's lawyers are going to do is s charge that we went after him solely because of bad blood. Hopefully the jury listens to the evidence."

David sighed after taking a sip of his wine, then moved to the couch as well. "My supervisor is going to testify as an expert witness. The defense is going to try that angle, he's going to testify to our professionalism, as well as testifying to his own investigation."

"There's something else." Trina set her now empty glass down, bemoaning the lack of wine for a split second before standing up and moving towards her husband. "Martin…" Her lips turned into a wide smile, and her eyes lit up with joy as she took his hands in hers. "I wasn't sure how to say this, or when a good time would be, but there's no time like the present."

Martin smiled back and chuckled. "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant." Martin's eyes grew large and his jaw fell open, but before he could react, he started to pass out. David rolled his eyes and raised his glass.

"Be a man!"

Martin stood up and dusted himself off. "I-I'm sorry." Martin stammered and looked into her joyful eyes with shock and awe. "Did I hear you right?" He put his hands on her waist and looked down at her abdomen with a joyous laugh. "Pregnant? I'm going to be a dad? We're going to be parents?"

Tears ran down her cheeks, framing her smile as she nodded her head. David looked on with pride and took another sip of his wine. He looked at it with a frown. "Beer still tastes better to me." With a sigh, he glanced up and poked a finger at Martin. "Be a good father, a good husband. Don't make the same mistakes I did and I won't have to hurt you."

Martin choked up and tears welled up in his eyes. "Oh yes sir, don't worry sir." He leaned in, whispering in Trina's ear. "You know your real dad scares me a lot more than your godfather?" She laughed once and wiped her face.

"Just wait until you've got them both in the same room."

"Oh god…I hope no one goes out on a stretcher."

David was back in the kitchen, pouring himself a small glass of beer. "If anyone does," he said in a singsong voice, "It's gonna be you." Martin paled and Trina started to sigh. It was strange, she thought Gary had been the grouchy sarcastic one, but he was nothing compared to her dad. Granted, David had his reasons.

The next big event was the renewal of their vows. This time the ceremony was simpler, not as fancy or huge as her wedding. Enough time passed that the hospital allowed Tori to leave, so she was able to be present. Unfortunately, but not surprising, Jade wasn't there.

Gary and Carol were able to drive out from the Oasis retirement community, along with both Commander Chapman and Chief Deputy Perez. Gary, David, the Chief and Commander all in the same room was something of an amusement for Trina to watch.

"I've heard so much about both of you," David said to the tall blonde woman and the bald man beside her. Perez started to smirk and glanced sideways at Chapman, who blinked multiple times. "Good things I hope," Chapman replied. The flat expression on her face gave away the disbelief of her own statement. "It has been a pleasure having Detective Lawton with the SST."

"Ah yes." David pat Gary on the back and grinned from ear to ear. "I'm retiring soon, thinking of moving up to the Canyon with my youngest. I'm interested in signing up with the SST."

Chapman's eyebrows rose sharply along with the pitch in her voice. "Oh really?" She extended her hands and clapped them. "Well it will be a _pleasure_ to have both Trina's fathers on board with us." Trina tapped her upper lip with her finger and used her hand to conceal her snickering grin. Chapman looked at her as if to ask if Trina were still punishing her for not listening to her in regards to the prior robberies within the community.

After all, both David and Gary had A-type personalities and neither of them were softies or pushovers. They were driven, and if they thought something was going on, they were going to push and push until something was done about it.

Carol walked over, shaking her head at the two men. "I am going to have to find a way to separate both of you men, aren't I?"

"You might have just gained a second husband Mrs. Lawton," Perez joked. The man sipped on a cup of coffee, which Trina noticed he always seemed to have a drink in his hand. Carol rolled her eyes and her smile seemed to shine past everyone.

"Oh believe me. Back in the day, Holly and I were the peacemakers." She still was. Trina crossed her arms and took a deep breath, remembering how both her mother and Carol were always trying to keep the peace between everyone and make sure to find a way to please everybody and quell the fighting. Carol was more of an active peacemaker than Holly, but they both ran things. It was going to be interesting now with just her.

Gary looked at his wife with great concern, cupping her hand in his. "Just please don't strain yourself worrying about us, honey. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to you."

David grunted. "You'd go crazy." Gary dropped his head and started to sigh.

"Yes. I probably would."

"No probably about it. You would. Hell, I'm surprised I haven't yet."

"Well Dave, a good friend of mine once told me, sometimes you have to learn to be happy with what you have." Trina smiled as David looked back at her with a knowing expression. "Clarence. You'll meet him at the SST, he's the one that gave Trina her first ride along there, he's a long-time friend of mine."

"Yeah. Sounds like he's a wise man."

Trina folded her hands in front of her waist and looked back, seeing her sister seated in one of the pews. Tori had her head bowed and her hands were clasped in her lap. She still wasn't saying much, but she appeared happy to be with her family.

No charges were being pressed on her for knowingly infecting anyone, and nobody had decided to sue. Only time would tell if anything was going to happen, though, but for now none of that mattered.

Trina approached her, taking a seat and placing a gentle hand onto her back. It was time to be her sister now, and not an investigator. "You okay, little sis?" Tori raised her head and scoffed.

"What do you think? Asking a question like that."

"I think you're broken and torn. I think you're hurting, and that's perfectly normal." Tori closed her eyes, fidgeting her thumbs and pressing them together. "You have us now. I'm here, Dad's here…you have a family."

"I don't have any friends. Andre's gone…" Tori's eyes filled with tears and she started to breathe heavily. "My feelings for him were as real as my feelings for Jade, but I can't look at Jade the same anymore."

"She went through the same tragedy." It was unlikely either girl were going to be able to recover enough and speak to each other anytime soon. That was expected. They both had anger and guilt, and the truth of the matter was plain to everyone, including them: If Jade had never been infected, or even had that affair, Beck never would have been. Had he never been infected, there would have been no motive-no reason for him to commit the crime he did.

"I wish I had never done the things I did, Trina. That goes all the way back to Hollywood Arts. Sometimes I even wish I hadn't met them. Any of them…"

"I know." Trina hugged her, letting her cry onto her shoulder until Martin walked up. The services were about to start, and the waterworks had already begun well before then.

"There's a couple other guests that haven't arrived yet," he said with a quiet tone. Trina raised her head, curious to know who was left out, and Tori slowly wiped her eyes. "I um, I invited them to the ceremony. They haven't been to LA in a long time, never wanted to come back, but they were um…'Compelled!' to come…"

"Oh?"

The doors of the church blew open and six shadows stretched along the floor. Tori's eyes widened and her lips twisted into a tiny smile as Trina's jaw fell open. Robbie had a hand at his waist and his right hand raised into the air. "We have arrived!" Cat closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Honey, we can drop the act. We're not performing right now." Their children, one older daughter and three triplets, scurried into the room like a flood. Robbie dropped his hand and started to sigh.

"Every minute of life is an opportunity to perform, to enjoy life in its finest. To create memories, vivid and infinite as the universe itself."

Cat put her fingertips to her forehead and chuckled. "God, what did I marry? I love you so much." Robbie kissed her and put an arm around her waist.

"Come, let us drink and be merry."

Trina looked at Martin, saying nothing and shaking her head while giving him a gentle smile. Tori stood shakily, staring at the couple with fresh tears streaming down her face. "C-Cat? R-Robbie?" The couple froze, and suddenly the cheerful demeanor grew somber and quiet.

"It's been a long time," Robbie answered. There was a stillness in the air, and it seemed as if all eyes were on the pair. "We may be here for your sister and her husband, but we're here for you as well. We…heard what you went through. We are…so sorry."

Tori sobbed and threw her hand over her mouth, choking up as Cat embraced her first. Then Robbie embraced both of them, tears in his eyes as well as his wife's.

Trina wrapped her arms around her stomach and gripped her upper arms firmly while leaning into Martin. "You continue to amaze me, Martin. Gestures like this…I love you."

"I love you too."

She didn't know if a friendship would start anew for the three, especially given how much Robbie and Cat travelled, but regardless it was a good thing that they were here now. If their presence could bring joy and a little bit of peace to Tori as it did for millions of their fans, then Trina was thrilled to have them.

The wedding bells chimed minutes later, and Trina was joined at the start of the aisle by Gary and David. They locked their arms around her elbows and looked at each other with serious expressions, eventually smiling and giving a nod of respect before leading her along to the altar.

Having them both there drew tears from her eyes, but she couldn't wipe them as she was holding onto a bouquet of flowers. At the end of the aisle stood Chief Perez on the side of Martin, and Commander Chapman on her side.

Likely Chapman was wondering how and why Trina opted to have her stand at the alter as though one of her bridesmaids or matron of honor; but the woman smiled anyway and to Trina's surprise as she neared her approach, Chapman was crying like a baby.

She even heard Gary whisper to David. "My god, the ice queen has emotions."

At the altar, David and Gary stepped in front of her and before Martin, looking at him with respect before sidestepping out of the way and letting her walk between them. She stepped in front of Martin, looking at him with a loving and tender gaze. She handed Chapman the bouquet to hold and let Martin take her hands.

The preacher went through his standard fare, then let the two of them speak. Martin didn't look from her eyes once. "When I first met you, I knew you were the woman I wanted to be with…" He squeezed her hand and she stifled a sob. "Everything we've been through since we've gotten married, everything we've survived…from being jobless and spending our first few months of marriage living in a retirement community…" She chuckled once and Martin smiled more. "To even recent events. I feel like everything has made us stronger, I know more than I knew from our first date and our first kiss, that you are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Katrina Ellie-" He paused, his smile turning into a cute, playful smirk. "Vega-Lawton-Skopic."

Trina sniffed and let out a short and quick laugh. She leaned forward, wanting to kiss him now, but restrained herself. "Nothing makes me happier to have you in my life, Trina. Before I met you, I thought I had everything I could ever want and need. That all changed, and now I feel truly together we can have anything we want and we can achieve anything."

"I love you Martin. So much." She wiped her cheeks and closed her eyes. "Coming here to Los Angeles, being away from you during all this made me want and need you more than I ever felt like I needed someone in my life." She took a deep breath. "I've been through a lot of things, so many things that made me think nobody could ever want to be with someone like me. I've witnessed tragedies, I've been called so many things, told so many times no one would care about me-to the point I didn't even want a man in my life because I was so self-conscious. I even got dropped from a harness once for insulting a puppet…"

"Moving onwards!" Someone called from the pews. She chuckled softly and Martin rolled his eyes as some of the guests laughed. Robbie's wife smirked and his children all turned their heads to their father. As this happened, he raised his hand over his eyes and muttered. "I hate LA…How I hate it…"

"I felt useless, like nobody could ever care for me. Then you came into my life, and for the first time, somebody wanted me." She moved her arms around his neck and gazed into his warm, tender eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much for being there, for loving me and being the most amazing man in my life. I know you'll be a great husband, a fantastic father, and I'm looking so forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

The preacher spoke some more, then announced to Martin that he may kiss his bride. Trina leaned up and felt his arms tighten around her waist as he kissed her firmly and turned to dip her during the kiss.

As this was going on, David and Gary moved for the cameraman, placing their hands over the lens.

* * *

Lots of fun and seriousness in this chapter, and of course the renewal of the wedding vows. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, do tell your thoughts and observations. Of course, we can only imagine poor Commander Chapman of the SST with Gary and David there, now who's really running the joint?


	24. Trials and Verdicts

Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: Here we go, the trial. We're going to see quite a bit, including a final conversation with the two surviving victims.

* * *

Chapter 24 (Trials and Verdicts)

The trial was hard fought. The testimonies of experts went first. The prosecution was tough, the defense attorneys were just as rough. Both had excellent points, and even attempted to suggest that Jade may have been the real assailant, while the prosecution quickly disputed that.

Trina relished her time on the stand, though she couldn't deny how difficult it was to be up there. The defense did a great job trying to paint her as an emotionally charged woman going after Beck simply because of the things that happened between them, but she remained firm and consistent-sticking with the evidence and remaining true to the points of investigation. She mapped out every single step she took, every person she talked to and how exactly they arrived at Beck.

Her father had done the same. Both of their statements were only bolstered by the statement given by David's supervisor. It was at that point, when she testified, that she looked Beck in the eyes and caught a glimpse of anger and defeat, as though he knew he had lost. This look filled her with satisfaction and joy.

For her first homicide, she felt what her father had been telling her all along. When she looked at Jade and Tori in the witness box, she visualized in her mind Andre and Holly sitting beside them, looking strong and confident as ever.

Investigators demonstrated how the crime possibly occurred, demonstrating how a man of Beck's stature could cause the damage that he had.

It wasn't a trial that took place over the course of a single day, or even a week. It was long, it was grueling and it was painful. Perhaps the greatest moments of the trial came when Tori and Jade gave their testimonies.

Both of them held the entire courtroom, speaking as eloquently as they could against the grief, terror, trauma and tears. The hush that came over the courtroom when they walked the Court through the actions of that night had been so intense that a pin could have fallen on the floor and echoed.

Their testimonies moved the jurors, succeeding in bringing them to tears. Beck remained unmoved, to no one's surprise. His lack of remorse likely did him in worse than the testimonies of either victims. His defense couldn't save him from the hangman's noose either, and their attempt at painting Tori's actions as villainous to create a mitigating circumstance was done in vain.

The only thing it earned them were scowls and glares from the jury.

Holly's case had been the most tragic of all, an innocent woman. A mother who would never live to see her grandchildren, gunned down trying to defend her daughter.

 _"Get off my daughter,"_ cried Holly's voice on the audio file of the 911 call. Trina closed her eyes and listened with tears streaming as the audio file bore its own tragic testimony. A voice from beyond the grave.

 _"What the fuck!"_ Beck exclaimed. _"I thought you were asleep." Shots rang out and Holly cried out in pain. Jade could be heard groaning in the background, weeping terribly as Tori groaned. "Fuck!" Sirens could be heard, followed by a clicking sound._

Eventually all that was left was to wait for the jury to deliberate. Everyone waited in the lobby outside the courtroom, no one was calm or still. David paced, tapping his right index finger knuckle on his chip with impatience. Gary watched him with anxious eyes and his shoulders were being rubbed by Carol.

Trina was being held by Martin, her head rested on his shoulder and she tried rubbing her fingers over her abdomen to focus on the child growing inside of her rather than focusing on the stress of waiting for a verdict to be reached.

She didn't have a single complaint with how the prosecution handled the case. They'd done their best and certainly earned their praise as well as pay.

Tori and Jade were nearby, both girls unable to look at each other and both incredibly tense and still. Jade was in the wheelchair beside the bench that Tori sat. "It still feels like a dream," Tori said finally. The girl raised her head back and clenched her hands in her lap. "Your husband took my mother from me…she never did anything wrong." Tears welled up in Tori's eyes. "She was the perfect innocent victim in this. Why am I alive? Why is she dead? She should be alive, she should be able to see her granddaughter. I don't deserve it."

"You're alive because she saved your life," Jade muttered. It was true. Had Holly not startled Beck, he wouldn't have stopped. He would have kept going until Tori was dead.

Realizing this, Trina turned her head and buried her face further into Martin's shoulder.

Tori looked at Jade, speaking calmly as she hunched forward. She rubbed her hands together and frowned. "I don't hate you, Jade. I don't blame you, I blame myself, but…but I don't think I can talk to you. Not now. Every time I look at you-"

"I know." Jade cleared her throat and shook her head. "It is my fault, everything is my fault. I should have just tried things with my husband, talked to him, and not had that affair." Jade still felt the guilt from Holly's death, as far as Trina understood. "I am sorry, Tori."

"It's not your fault. I mean…I don't hold anything against you, I just-I don't know." Tori held her breath and rubbed her eyes with her wrists. She let out a heavy sigh and dropped her hands to her knees. "Cat and Robbie are talking to me again." Jade raised her eyebrows and looked up with surprise.

"Really? I haven't heard from them."

"My sister and her husband renewed their vows. They were on the guest list…I guess they kind of helped save Trina's marriage." Jade chuckled and ran her hand over her neck.

"I kind of helped keep him from cheating on her." Jade looked at Trina with a subtle smile. "It's a little bit funny, a little bit ironic. The ones that caused your sister the most pain are the ones that helped keep her marriage stable…or at least brought her husband down to earth."

"Yeah." Tori ran her hands over her knees and closed her eyes. "Jade. I did feel something, don't think I didn't." Jade took a deep breath and Tori looked at her. "But you realize. We can't be friends anymore. Not for a while. I think maybe one day, but it's just too…too difficult right now. You understand. I'm sorry."

"You need to be with your family right now anyway." Jade bowed her head and bit down on the lower left corner of her lip. "I…Trina's laid her roots down a few hours away, so I know you'll be with them."

"It's going to be weird. My dad's decided to move in with a retirement community…and I'll be living with him."

"Heh. Good luck with that."

"Yeah. I don't know what's going to happen from here. Do you? Where are you going to be?"

Jade looked at a man standing nearby and smiled gently. The man was tall and wearing a grey suit, he had a straight face with somber and wet eyes. His grey hair was short and neatly combed over. "You and Trina aren't the only ones reuniting with your dad…" Tori raised her eyebrows and smiled

"You're staying with your dad too? That's great."

"Yeah, but he lives on the other side of the country. It's going to be a change of scenery for sure…" Jade rubbed her arm and the tone of her voice tensed. "Maybe it's for the best. Someone said Robbie still hates Los Angeles, I can understand. I don't even want to be here anymore."

"His reason is a little different, I think."

"Not really. He hates it here because of all the memories. He was at his worst here, he did things here that every time he's here, he can't forget or get away from. Every step he takes in this city is painful for him, so he refuses to return…I understand that feeling completely now…It will be good to get away."

"I guess so."

Jade looked around, disheartened. "Where are they now? They probably didn't even want to see me."

"No, they had to leave because they're still touring. They couldn't stay long."

"I'm a little jealous of you, reconnecting with them. I never thought they'd even try and talk to either of us again…"

Trina raised her head up and smiled as the pair wished the other the best of luck. She didn't know if they'd ever talk again, but there was always the hope, always the chance.

They were called back into the courtroom after some time, the jury had come to a conclusion. Trina held her breath and looked at her father, eager to see how the result of her first homicide case unfolded.

David told her once that there would always be a few disappointing cases, where it didn't turn out as hoped, or the killer got away. She prayed this wouldn't be one of those times, and was pretty confident, but she still was holding onto her breath.

The speaker of the jury stepped up, a tall woman with a long brown ponytail. She held a card out in front of her. "We the jury." Tension formed like clouds in the air. Even Beck looked anxious in the defense seat. The prosecution were beaming with confidence, gazing with sharp eyes and slick smirks. "Find the Defendant, Beckett Allan Oliver…"

Trina closed her eyes and was almost certain she was crushing her father's hand. It was the moment of truth.

"Guilty of one count murder in the first degree. Guilty of two counts attempted murder in the first degree. Guilty of one count murder in second degree." Trina felt the relief roll through her body, shaking her immensely. She started to sob, falling forward and raising her hands in front of her face. "We the jury recommend the sentence of life without the chance of parole."

The judge narrowed his eyes at Beck and spoke above the court, his loud voice booming as though he were trying to be heard for miles. "I support the Jury's recommendation. Beckett Oliver, you are hereby sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Because of the severity of this case, and your direct attempt at tampering with the investigation as well as cold manipulation of one of the victims…I am adding an extra one hundred and twenty years to your sentence."

Beck looked like a ghost, white and pale as he could be. Trina felt an overwhelming sense of triumph, and nearly sprang to life in that very courtroom. She watched the police guide Beck away.

Later that evening, Trina stood with her father before her mother's grave. The pride and relief she felt was enormous. Among all the graves of victims that David helped find justice for was one very important grave. "We did it," Trina whispered while kneeling before her mother's grave, "I fought for you mom. For you, for Andre, for Tori and Jade. We got him..." She furrowed her brow and tears welled up in her eyes. "He's never going to hurt anyone ever again."

David placed a strong hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"It's bittersweet."

"I know...Could you do this?"

"I think so." Trina rose to her feet, clenching her fists at her sides while gazing out at the other graves. She wanted to work more homicides. The joy she felt at finally achieving that justice was worth more than anything. "It's rewarding. I don't want to become so focused that I don't pay attention to my family, though."

"I don't think you will have that problem."

"I want to do this. I want to solve more, find justice for more victims." The passion she had was greater than ever before. "I've always wanted to be a homicide detective, and now that I've had my taste...I want this more than anything."

David looked to her with pride and glanced down at the gravestone. "Good." He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. "Because I've recommended you to Perez and the department in your city." Her heart jumped and she raised her eyebrows slowly.

"R-Really?"

"Yes. I think you can do it. I think you'll be great." She hugged her father, grateful for the recommendation. It felt like her dream was coming true, even if it was at a great cost. "I'm proud of you, Trina. I'm glad you're here."

"You too, Dad, you too."

"Where we go from here..."

"We'll all face things together. As a family."

Martin approached, stealing her gaze with a smirk. "You know what?" He took her in his arms and she smiled back at him. "I got a crazy feeling."

"What feeling is that?" She knew what he was about to say, stealing the line she used on him at their wedding and on the day they moved back to their house. Martin kissed her forehead and hugged her tight.

"All our dreams are coming true."

* * *

I feel like I had to end it on that line. It was the first line of "When Duty Calls", and the last line of the movie that she tells him that. So this is the end of the road, end of the line. Tori and Jade have sort of reconciled, but given how close to the tragedy, and what they've been through, that's probably better than what would normally be expected. Beck's never going to see the outside of a prison in his life, and everyone's going to try and move forward. I had a thought of a sequel, but I'm really not sure how I'd do it, and it would essentially focus on Tori trying to recover and start her life while dealing with the tragedy, what she's done, and the HIV positive state. That said, thank you for everyone that followed along with this, I appreciate all of you. On to the next big project!


End file.
